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19 Years Later: Riot Case Acquittal Due to Lack of Evidence
8 Dec
Summary
- Court acquitted 10 individuals in a 19-year-old rioting case.
- Prosecution failed to present credible evidence beyond reasonable doubt.
- Lack of independent witnesses and identification parades cited.
In a significant development, a Kalyan sessions court has acquitted ten individuals in a case dating back to 2006, which involved charges of rioting and attempting to murder police officers. The court found that the prosecution could not establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt due to a lack of credible evidence.
The incident occurred amidst statewide unrest following alleged desecration of a Dr. B.R. Ambedkar statue. The accused were alleged to be part of an unlawful assembly that engaged in stone-pelting and property damage. Proceedings against four other accused were dropped after their deaths during the trial.
The court highlighted critical flaws in the prosecution's case, noting the absence of independent witnesses and the failure to conduct test identification parades. With key witnesses retracting their statements, the court found insufficient grounds to convict, leading to the acquittal of all ten surviving accused.
