NEW DELHI: A court has framed charges under various penal offences, including rioting and arson, against 49 accused in a case of the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, setting the stage for their trial.
The court, however, discharged all accused of the charge of criminal conspiracy, saying, the element of
prior agreement among the accused and others could not be inferred. It also discharged an accused of all charges, observing there was no concrete evidence about his presence in the riotous mob.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a case against 51 accused. One of them named Suleman Siddiqui is yet to be arrested. According to the prosecution, the accused were part of a mob that trespassed, vandalised and torched a car showroom on the main Wazirabad road on February 24, 2020.
“I find that a prima facie case is made out for offences punishable under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 427 (punishment for committing mischief and thereby causing loss or damage to the amount of `50 or upwards), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to the amount of `100 or upwards) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with
intent to destroy house, etc.)...,” the judge said in an order passed on Monday.
The judge said the accused will also face trial for the offences under IPC sections 450 (house-trespass in order to commit any offence punishable with imprisonment for life), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 149 (unlawful assembly). “Since there is no concrete evidence of identification of accused Mohammed Aftab in the mob behind the incident probed in this case, therefore, he is discharged,” he said.