Delhi Court Acquits 12 Accused in 2020 Riot Killing Case Over Lack of Evidence
Judge cites major inconsistencies in witness accounts and insufficient proof to establish guilt
A Delhi court has cleared 12 men accused of abducting and killing a Muslim man during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, citing a lack of reliable evidence.
The verdict was delivered on April 21 by Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh, who ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Among those acquitted were Lokesh Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, and Sumit Chaudhary, also known as Badshah.
The case concerned the death of Musharraf, whose body was found in a drain in Bhagirathi Vihar on February 27, 2020. According to investigators, a large mob had allegedly entered his home on the night of February 25, forcibly taken him away, assaulted him, and later disposed of his body.
The accused were facing serious charges, including murder, rioting, kidnapping, unlawful assembly, destruction of evidence, and promoting communal hostility.
However, the court found that the prosecution’s case relied mainly on the statements of Musharraf’s wife and daughter. The judge noted that their testimonies contained significant contradictions, which weakened the case and made the evidence unreliable on key points.
The court also raised concerns about the conduct of the victim’s wife. It described as unlikely her claim that she did not contact the police or inform relatives for nearly two days after witnessing the alleged incident.
In addition, call detail records only showed that the accused were present in their residential areas, without linking them directly to the crime. The court also observed that certain WhatsApp conversations presented as evidence had already been examined in a separate case.
Based on these findings, the judge concluded that the prosecution had not established the guilt of the accused, and they were given the benefit of doubt.