2 years after arrest, properties bulldozed, Ayodhya court acquits SP leader Moid Khan

Nearly two years after arrest, a POCSO court in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has acquitted Samajwadi Party leader Moid Khan in the 2024 gang rape case involving a minor, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove the charges and DNA evidence that did not establish his involvement. The verdict came nearly two years after his arrest, which had been followed by the demolition of his properties in a controversial bulldozer drive.

While granting Khan relief, the court convicted Raju, who had been employed as his servant, holding him guilty in the case.

The ruling comes almost two years after the case sparked intense political controversy and swift administrative action in Ayodhya. Khan’s arrest in 2024, when he was named as an accused in the alleged gang rape of a minor, quickly became a politically charged issue.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had referred to the incident in the state Assembly and later reiterated it at an election rally in Aligarh. Several BJP leaders visited the survivor’s family, and soon after, Khan’s properties — including a multi-storey shopping complex and a bakery in Ayodhya’s Purakalandar area — were razed, with authorities claiming the constructions were illegal, Maktoob Media reported.

The bakery was demolished a day after Adityanath met the victim’s mother and assured her of justice, including action through bulldozers against those responsible. Although officials maintained that the structure stood on disputed land, the move was widely viewed as part of the state government’s much-criticised “bulldozer justice” approach.

During the trial, the defence pointed to what it described as major inconsistencies in the prosecution’s version. The FIR initially cited the crime scene as a bakery, but investigators later placed it at a location far removed from Khan’s establishment. Journalist Mohammed Zubair of Alt News also drew attention to the fact that the survivor had first named a person called “Mohit” along with the main accused, and that Khan’s name was allegedly added later, under police pressure.

The case also attracted aggressive media scrutiny and political targeting. Republic TV anchor Arnab Goswami, during a broadcast, alleged that Khan was being shielded because of his political and religious identity, remarks that were widely criticised for communal overtones.

Despite being acquitted in the rape case, Khan continues to remain in jail as proceedings under the Gangster Act, which had been invoked against him earlier, are still underway.

The verdict has revived debate around the politicisation of criminal cases, the use of bulldozer demolitions, and the application of stringent laws before guilt is established in court.

Reacting to the acquittal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticised the BJP, questioning its reliance on bulldozer action. He asked whether the ruling party had any mechanism to restore demolished homes or return people’s dignity and self-respect.

Yadav further remarked that while those in power might succeed in getting cases against themselves withdrawn, the injustices committed would ultimately be judged elsewhere. He questioned how anyone responsible for such actions could remain at peace, describing injustice as the defining feature of the BJP government.

According to him, the bulldozer had become a symbol of a destructive mindset under BJP rule, and he asserted that truth would ultimately prevail over what he described as political conspiracies.