New Delhi: A local court hearing two cases related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots has acquitted an accused of all charges, saying his presence in the riotous mob was not proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cases were registered against Rohit, accused of being a part of an unlawful assembly that rioted, and committed vandalism, theft and arson in the shops and houses of five complainants.
The first case was registered for the rioting incidents in Gokalpuri on the intervening night of February 25 and 26, 2020. The second case was for similar incidents on February 25, 2020.
“Discussion and observations lead me to hold that prosecution though established the incident of riot, vandalism and arson, failed to prove the presence of the accused in the unlawful assembly responsible for such incidents, beyond a reasonable doubt,” Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said in an order on Tuesday.
The judge then acquitted Rohit of all charges levelled against him in both cases.
The court observed that common eyewitness did not identify Rohit in the cases and the prosecution relied upon the testimonies of two head constables. But the police officials concerned, who had identified the accused, did not formally record the information.
“Coming back to the evidence… I find that having knowledge of a person involved in the riot was not ordinary information… Subject to any exigency, such information should have been recorded in a formal manner at the earliest possible time, in the police station,” the judge said.
The Gokalpuri police station had registered two FIRs against Rohit under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, theft in a dwelling house and mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house.
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