2020 Delhi riots: Court acquits 6, raps police for ‘trampling’ rights

A Delhi court has acquitted six men in a 2020 Delhi riots case while rapping the prosecution for “trampling” the accused’s rights and called for action by the police commissioner.

Additional sessions judge Parveen Singh acquitted the six men accused of being a part of a mob which was allegedly involved in rioting and arson on February 25, 2020.

In an 41-page order on August 25, the court said, “It is apparent that merely in order to work out the case, a false case has been foisted upon the accused and prosecution witness 10, head constable Vikas, the only eyewitness of the case, is completely unreliable qua these accused persons.”

The prosecution’s case “built on the basis of the disclosures of the accused” leading to their arrest was observed to have “fallen apart”.

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“I must observe that there has been an egregious padding of evidence by the investigating officer (IO) and this has resulted in serious trampling of the rights of the accused, who have probably been chargesheeted only in order to show that this case is worked out,” the court said.

The judge went on, “This is more saddening because, despite the glaring defects, supervising officers, i.e., the station house officer and the assistant commissioner of police had forwarded the chargesheet in a mechanical manner.”

Such instances, the court said, would result in “serious erosion of the faith of the people in the investigating process” besides the rule of law.

“I deem it appropriate that the copy of this judgment be sent to the Commissioner of Police for his perusal, with a request to take remedial action,” the court added.

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The acquitted include Ishu Gupta, Prem Prakash, Raj Kumar, Manish Sharma, Rahul and Amit.