NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has convicted five people for culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the death of a 22-year-old man during the 2020 North East Delhi riots.
The court also acquitted two other accused, clearing them of all charges related to the same incident. The case involved the death of Monish (referred to as Mosin in some records), who was beaten by a mob during the communal violence that engulfed parts of Delhi in February 2020. While the prosecution initially charged all seven with murder, the court ruled that the actions of the five convicted—Ashish Goli, Arun Munna, Aman Kashyap, Pardeep Rai, and Devender Yadav—did not meet the criteria for murder, though they were responsible for culpable homicide.
Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of the Karkardooma Court noted that the fatal head injuries sustained by Monish could not be directly attributed to any specific person. “In the absence of certainty regarding the intention or role of these five accused in inflicting the fatal blows, their liability is limited to culpable homicide not amounting to murder,” the judge stated.
Meanwhile, Krishan Kant and Rahul Bhardwaj were acquitted after the court found no evidence linking them to the crime. They were accused of selling Monish’s mobile phone after his death, but the court held that they were not part of the rioting mob, and the theft charges were unproven.
The prosecution’s case relied on eyewitness accounts and mobile data records. According to the chargesheet, Monish’s phone was last active on February 25, 2020, around 5:07 p.m., with its location traced to Brijpuri Road.
Witnesses identified the five convicted people as part of the mob that assaulted Monish with sticks during the chaos.
Case involved death of 22-year-old man
Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of the Karkardooma Court noted that the fatal head injuries sustained by 22-year-old Monish (referred to as Mosin in some records) could not be directly attributed to any specific person. While the prosecution initially charged all seven with murder, the court ruled that the actions of the five convicted did not meet the criteria for murder, but were responsible for culpable homicide