Delhi Court Acquits Six in 2020 Riots Case Due to Lack of Evidence
On August 2, Delhi’s Karkardooma Court acquitted six individuals accused of rioting and other offenses during the 2020 Delhi riots. The court found no evidence against Hashim Ali, Abu Bakar, Mohd. Ajeej, Rashid Ali, Nazmuddin alias Bhola, and Mohammad Danish.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala stated, “I find that charges leveled against the accused persons in this case are not proved at all.” The court noted that there was no evidence to identify the accused as part of the riotous mob involved in the incident at the premises of Naresh Chand and Dharampal.
The court observed that the Call Detail Records (CDR) and Cell ID Chart did not establish the exact location or involvement of the accused. Despite the availability of video footage, the accused could not be identified. The court criticized the investigation for not using scientific methods to confirm identities through video comparison.
Advocates Salim Malik and Shavana, representing some of the accused, argued that there was no incriminating evidence to establish their clients’ identities as part of the mob. Special Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar Raheja argued that the DVR recordings from CCTV cameras were sufficient evidence, but the court disagreed.
The case stemmed from an FIR registered on February 28, 2020, based on a complaint by Naresh Chand, who alleged that rioters had ransacked and set fire to his house and shops on February 25, 2020. The investigation, led by ASI Suman Kumar, included 13 other complaints.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi Court -: A Delhi Court is a place where legal cases are heard and decided in Delhi, the capital city of India.
Acquits -: Acquits means to declare someone not guilty of a crime. In this case, the court decided that the six people did not commit the crime they were accused of.
2020 Riots -: The 2020 Riots in Delhi were violent clashes that happened in February 2020, involving different groups of people. Many people were hurt, and there was a lot of damage.
Karkardooma Court -: Karkardooma Court is a specific court in Delhi where legal cases are heard. It is named after the area where it is located.
Lack of Evidence -: Lack of evidence means there wasn’t enough proof to show that the accused people did something wrong.
Hashim Ali, Abu Bakar, Mohd. Ajeej, Rashid Ali, Nazmuddin alias Bhola, and Mohammad Danish -: These are the names of the six people who were accused of being involved in the riots but were found not guilty by the court.
Video footage and cell data -: Video footage means recordings from cameras, and cell data means information from mobile phones. These were used to try to identify the accused people.
Scientific examination -: Scientific examination means using scientific methods and tools to find out the truth, like checking fingerprints or DNA.
