A Delhi court has acquitted 30 men in four separate FIRs related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, including cases involving the murder of three individuals and the looting and arson of a medical shop. The acquittals were delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of the Karkardooma Court over four consecutive dates—May 13, 14, 16 and 17—after the court found that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
The men were accused in FIRs 37/2020, 36/2020 and 114/2020, all registered at Gokalpuri police station, as well as in FIR 64/2020 registered at Karawal Nagar police station. The list of those acquitted includes names like Lokesh Kumar Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Sumit Chaudhary, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Pawan Kumar, Lalit Kumar and several others.
On May 13, the court acquitted 14 individuals in FIR 37/2020, which was registered based on a complaint by an assistant sub-inspector regarding the murder of Aamir Ali during the communal violence. While all were acquitted of charges related to rioting, unlawful assembly and murder, one of the accused, Lokesh Kumar Solanki, was convicted under Sections 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between different groups and making statements inciting public mischief.
In FIR 114/2020, which was based on a complaint filed by a man named Imran Sheikh who alleged looting and arson at his medical shop, all accused were acquitted. Similarly, FIR 64/2020, which involved the brutal killing of Shahbaz who was reportedly beaten and burnt alive, also resulted in complete acquittals. FIR 36/2020, linked to the death of Akil Ahmed due to blunt force trauma, likewise ended in no convictions.
The judge cited lack of credible evidence, unreliable witness accounts, and the failure of the prosecution to conclusively link the accused to the alleged crimes as the basis for acquittals.
