NEW DELHI: A court here on Thursday acquitted an accused in a case related to the communal violence that shook northeast Delhi in 2020 of the charges of rioting and arson.
The court was hearing the case against Noor Mohammad, who was accused of being a part of a riotous mob that set ablaze a shop in the Khajuri Khas area on February 24, 2020.
"I find that the charges levelled against the accused in this case are not proved beyond reasonable doubts. Hence, accused Noor Mohammad is acquitted of all the charges levelled against him in this case," Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala said.
Taking note of the witnesses' statements, the court said it was established that an unlawful assembly used explosive or inflammable substances to torch the complainant's shop.
But the complainant turned hostile to the prosecution's case and deposed that he did not identify the accused as a part of the mob that set his shop afire, the court said.
Another witness who had identified the accused was Constable Rohtash, it said.
The court noted that there were inconsistencies in the constable's statement, thus making his identification "doubtful" and "not safe to rely upon".
"Thus, I do not find credible evidence to show that the accused was a part of the mob, which set the shop on fire," the judge said.
The Khajuri Khas police station had registered the FIR against the accused on the basis of the complainant's statement.