2020 Delhi Riots: Court Acquits 2 Individuals Accused of Attacking SSB Personnel

A Delhi court has acquitted two men accused of various charges such as rioting, pelting bricks and throwing acid at security personnel, saying there was no incriminating evidence against them

The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala, stated that there was no incriminating evidence against the accused individuals.

The case involved Asraf Ali and Parvej, who were accused of being part of a riotous mob that attacked a Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) battalion with glass bottles, acid, and bricks in the Shiv Vihar area on February 25, 2020, during the communal riots in northeast Delhi.

According to the prosecution, two SSB personnel were injured in the attack.

The judge, considering the testimony of the sole eyewitness, emphasized that the witness did not mention witnessing acid being thrown from a nearby school and did not specify the particular mob responsible for the offense.

The judge stated, “Therefore, his testimony does not establish the complicity of both the accused persons in the acid (bottle) pelting upon the police and the SSB team, which resulted in injuries to victims of this case.”

“Thus, his testimony does not become incriminating for the accused persons in respect of the alleged incident,” the judge added.

In the absence of proof of the accused pair’s involvement, the judge ruled that the evidence for the offense under Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code has to be ignored.

The court, in an order passed on December 2, declared, “Both the accused persons are acquitted of all the charges levelled against them in this case.