Court Discharges Former MLA in COVID-19 Protest Case

The Rouse Avenue court on Friday discharged former Congress MLA Jai Kishan from a case involving alleged violations during a protest in August 2020. The court found no grounds to continue the proceedings due to lack of evidence connecting him to the incident and failures in the prosecution's investigation.

The Rouse Avenue court on Friday discharged Jai Kishan, a former Congress MLA, from a case involving alleged violations of prohibitory orders and the Epidemic Disease Act during a COVID-19 protest in August 2020.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Tanya Bamniyal concluded that there were no grounds to continue with the proceedings against Kishan. The court found inadequacies in the prosecution's evidence, including unclear photographs and lapses in the investigation.

The court emphasized the lack of evidence demonstrating Kishan's presence at the protest, noting that photographs did not establish his identity among the crowd. Other protesters involved have been convicted through plea bargaining.

(With inputs from agencies.)