A Madhya Pradesh court has acquitted all 11 accused in a 2022 communal violence case linked to the Ram Navami procession in Khargone, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The judgment was delivered by the Court of the 4th Additional Sessions Judge in Khargone (Mandleshwar) in Sessions Trial No. 75/2022, arising from Crime No. 237/2022 registered at Khargone Police Station.
The case stemmed from communal violence that broke out on April 10, 2022, during a Ram Navami procession in Bhatwadi Mohalla. The prosecution alleged that a group of Muslim men attacked Hindu houses with stones and petrol bombs, damaging homes and vehicles. The accused were charged with offences including rioting, arson, criminal conspiracy, house trespass and provisions of the Explosive Substances Act.
According to the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Advocate Rekha Shrivastav represented the accused throughout the trial and argued that the prosecution had failed to produce reliable evidence to support the allegations.
Witnesses Failed to Identify Accused
After examining the evidence, the Sessions Court concluded that the prosecution had not established the guilt of any of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
The court noted that 13 prosecution witnesses were examined during the trial. Of these, eight witnesses, including most of the complainants, did not support the prosecution’s case and failed to identify any of the accused before the court.
The prosecution largely relied on the testimony of a single alleged eyewitness. However, the court found the testimony unreliable because of significant contradictions regarding the time of the incident, the number of alleged attackers and whether the assailants had covered their faces.
The judgment also noted that the witness’s statement was recorded 51 days after the incident without any explanation. The court further observed that the witness had not been named as an eyewitness in the FIR or the original written complaints.
Court Notes Investigation Lapses
The court also pointed to shortcomings in the police investigation.
According to the judgment, no Test Identification Parade (TIP) was conducted even though the identity of the alleged attackers was disputed.
The court further observed that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report did not detect petrol, diesel or kerosene residue on the seized material, weakening the prosecution’s allegations that petrol bombs had been used and undermining the charges under the Explosive Substances Act.
In view of these deficiencies, the court extended the benefit of doubt to all 11 accused and acquitted them of all charges.
APCR Welcomes Verdict
The Association for Protection of Civil Rights welcomed the judgment, stating that the acquittal reinforces the importance of due process and fair trial.
According to APCR, the accused had spent between 462 and 827 days in jail during the course of the proceedings.
The organisation said it remains committed to providing legal assistance to individuals facing wrongful prosecution and to defending the constitutional principles of due process, fair trial and equal protection under the law, irrespective of religion or identity.
