Delhi Court Acquits Five in 2020 Riots Murder Case

A Delhi court acquitted five men accused of murder during the February 2020 riots, citing a lack of evidence to connect them to the crime. The court noted that the prosecution failed to prove the accused's involvement in Salman's murder. Evidence, including video footage, was insufficient.

A Delhi court has acquitted five men charged with murder during the February 2020 riots due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime. Additional sessions judge Pulastya Pramachala, in a ruling dated April 3, indicated that the prosecution could not establish a connection between the accused and the murder incident.

The court freed Kuldeep, Deepak Yadav, Deepak Thakur, Mohammed Furkan, and Mohammed Irshad from all accusations. Regarding Salman, who was allegedly murdered by a mob, the court observed that the investigating officer had not located the actual perpetrator. Despite allegations that the five were part of the mob responsible for Salman's death, evidence was lacking.

The judge emphasized that prosecution failed to demonstrate that the accused were part of the mob with a common motive against Salman. The discrepancies in the charges led the court to question the case's legal grounds, suggesting that an untrace report should have been filed should the actual culprits remain unidentified.

(With inputs from agencies.)