2020 Delhi riots case: Court acquits 12 of murder charge

New Delhi: A city court has acquitted 12 people in a 2020 northeast Delhi riots case concerning an alleged murder, holding that mere membership of an unlawful assembly is not enough to establish criminal liability unless an individual’s specific acts are proved.

Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh acquitted Lokesh Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Jatin Sharma, Himanshu Thakur, Vivek Panchal, Rishabh Chaudhary, Sumit Chaudhary, Tinku Arora, Sandeep and Sahil, The New Indian Express reported.

The court observed that the prosecution’s main witness had turned hostile during the trial and that his testimony yielded no incriminating material despite detailed cross-examination.

It also declined to rely on the testimony of a police witness, noting that the officer was unable to identify the individuals who were part of the mob.