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Court Acquits Six Men Wrongly Accused of Arson

A court in Delhi has expressed strong disapproval of the Delhi Police for allegedly fabricating charges against six individuals accused of arson during the riots in February 2020. The Additional Sessions Judge, Parveen Singh, criticized the police for violating the rights of the accused, as reported by a legal news outlet.

Judge Singh declared all six defendants not guilty, labeling the investigation as “shoddy” and the case as “cooked up” to wrongfully implicate them.

The accused—Ishu Gupta, Prem Prakash, Raj Kumar, Manish Sharma, Rahul, and Amit—were alleged to have participated in a mob that set fire to properties near the Azizia Masjid in Gamri Extension on February 25, 2020.

The judge noted that the sole eyewitness provided by the prosecution, Head Constable Vikas, was deemed “entirely unreliable” regarding the identities of the accused.

Furthermore, the court highlighted discrepancies in the police narrative. Judge Singh remarked, “It is evident that a false case has been fabricated against the accused merely to resolve the case.”

He added, “The investigating officer has significantly padded the evidence, leading to a serious infringement of the rights of the accused, who were likely charged just to demonstrate that the case was solved. This is extremely concerning.”

Singh also criticized the supervising officers, including the station house officer and the assistant commissioner of police, for submitting the chargesheet without addressing the evident flaws in the investigation.

In his ruling, Singh instructed that a copy of the judgment be forwarded to the Delhi Police Commissioner, urging him to take corrective measures.

The riots in North East Delhi erupted in February 2020, fueled by tensions between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulting in 53 fatalities and numerous injuries.