Delhi Court Acquits Six Accused in 2020 Riots Case, Criticizes Police for Fabricated Evidence
A Delhi court has delivered a significant verdict by acquitting all six men who were accused of committing arson near a mosque during the violent 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The court's decision came with severe criticism directed at the police for their handling of the investigation, which was described as deeply flawed and manipulative.
Judge Condemns Police for Fabricated Chargesheet
Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Kumar Singh, in his ruling on January 31, did not mince words when addressing the prosecution's case. He stated that the police had filed a "fabricated" chargesheet and engaged in "forging" witness accounts to falsely implicate the six accused individuals. The judge highlighted glaring lapses in the investigation, noting that the prosecution attempted to build a false case through manipulated and tampered statements.
The case dates back to February 25, 2020, when a mob allegedly looted and torched several shops, houses, and vehicles near the Aziziya Masjid in New Usmanpur. Based on CCTV footage and purported eyewitness accounts, the accused—Prem Prakash, Ishu Gupta, Raj Kumar, Amit, Rahul, and Hariom Sharma—were arrested and chargesheeted for offences including criminal conspiracy, rioting, and mischief by fire under the Indian Penal Code.
Systemic Failures and Manipulated Evidence
Judge Singh pointed out that the witnesses initially stated they had not seen any rioters, but later, through "manipulated" versions, claimed to have identified the accused. He slammed the investigating officers, stating that "the statements have been subsequently recorded to implicate the accused. The original statements were withheld from the court and witnesses were suborned."
The judge emphasized that the manipulation of evidence was "completely evident" and reflected a breakdown in the supervisory mechanism. He criticized the "audacity and impunity with which the record was tampered with," calling it a systemic failure that undermined the rights of the accused and society's expectation for fair criminal investigations.
Prosecution Fails to Prove Case Beyond Reasonable Doubt
In his ruling, Judge Singh noted that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. He remarked that had the supervisory mechanism functioned as expected, "the rights of the accused and the expectation of society that criminal cases are investigated fairly would not have been bulldozed and pulverised."
The judge further detailed how statements from the case diary during the probe by ASI Sita Ram, the initial investigating officer, were later replaced in the chargesheet with "completely different statements" attributed to head constable Vikas and constable Kishan. He concluded that "the chargesheet had nothing to support the case against the accused as there were no witnesses or videos."
This acquittal underscores ongoing concerns about police investigations in high-profile cases and raises questions about accountability and justice in the aftermath of the 2020 Delhi riots. The court's strong words serve as a reminder of the importance of integrity in legal proceedings and the need for robust oversight to prevent such lapses in the future.
