2020 Delhi riots: Court acquits 3 of arson, theft charge

A court here has acquitted three people charged with indulging in arson and theft during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the prosecution was unable to even prove there was a riotous mob behind the incidents being probed.
The court was hearing a case against Dinesh Yadav, Sandeep and Tinku, who were accused of being a part of the riotous mob that committed theft and vandalism at a furniture shop. They were also charged with committing mischief by fire and explosive substance to destroy a tailoring unit in Bhagirathi Vihar on the intervening night of 24 and 25 February 2020. “I find that charges levelled against the accused persons are not proved at all. Hence, the accused… are acquitted of all the charges levelled against them in this case,” Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said in an order passed on Wednesday.
“It is the case of the prosecution that the accused persons were members of the mob, which vandalized both properties. However, the prosecution even could not prove that there was a mob behind these incidents and in that situation, the inevitable conclusion is that there is no evidence on the record to show the involvement of the accused persons in the incidents…,” the judge added.