New Delhi — A Delhi court has framed charges against 57 individuals in connection with a case related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, which resulted in over 50 deaths and left many injured. The accused now face serious charges including vandalism, arson, rioting, and causing injury, reported the Hindu.
On March 15, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala ruled that prima facie evidence suggests the accused were part of an unlawful assembly with a common objective to commit violence and destroy property. According to the court, the mob set fire to a truck, a two-wheeler, a godown, and other belongings during the unrest.
The judge emphasized that under Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), every member of an unlawful assembly is held accountable for crimes committed in pursuit of the group’s common objective. “The argument of the defence regarding the absence of a specific role assigned to each accused is insignificant,” the court stated.
Charges have been framed under IPC Sections 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 435 (mischief by fire), 436 (mischief by fire with intent to destroy property), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 149 (unlawful assembly), and 188 (disobedience to a public servant’s order). These charges also pertain to the alleged wrongful restraint and assault of a man named Om Prakash.
However, the court discharged all accused from charges of criminal conspiracy, noting that witness statements did not establish any prior agreement among them to commit the alleged crimes.
The case stems from three FIRs lodged at the Dayalpur police station by Ashish Tiwari, Shankar Kumar, and Shahzada, who alleged that their shops, vehicles, and godowns were set ablaze by the rioting mob.
