Ahmedabad: A city sessions court criticised the police investigation in connection with an incident of communal violence during the 2002 riots while acquitting two people who were charged with rioting. The case was related to an incident of rioting that took place on April 1, 2002, at Behrampura police chowky near Jamalpur crossroads.
According to the prosecution’s case, the police received a message that nearly 300-400 members of the Muslim community gathered near Behrampura chowky and were pelting stones at the Hindus residing at nearby Raghuvir Society and Kalyanji Anandji Blocks. Even after the police arrived, people continued rioting. Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob. While the rioters ran away, the police nabbed two persons — Abdulla Sheikh and Akil Sheikh. They were booked and then put on trial on the charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, and attempt to murder.
After the trial, Principal City Sessions Judge Utkarsh Desai did not find any evidence against the two suspects. Many of the cops who were examined did not identify the accused. Besides, the court said, “From a crowd of 300-400 people, only the present two accused persons have been arrested in this case. The prosecution is silent about not having arrested the remaining accused persons.”
The court further said that the prosecution must prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. “Of course, such proof would not amount to rendering evidence with ‘clinical precision’, but, at the same time, evidence should be such that would be believable, that which would inspire confidence, that which would be valid and legal and that which would be shorn of all exaggerations and embellishments. The prosecution has to blame itself for such a bad show,” the court order reads.