2020 Delhi riots: Court discharges 11 accused of arson, criminal conspiracy
New Delhi, Mar 7: A court here has discharged 11 accused in a 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, saying there was no grave suspicion of them having committed the alleged offences.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing the case against the 11 men, who were accused of being a part of a mob that indulged in rioting, stone pelting, vandalism and arson at Sherpur Chowk in Dayalpur on February 23, 2020.
Nine other complaints were also clubbed with the case.
"It cannot be said that a grave suspicion is created against the accused persons to show their involvement in any of the incidents being prosecuted in this case. In fact, there is no specific evidence in respect of finding the culprit behind the incident related to other complaints, which were clubbed ," the court said.
In an order dated March 4, the court said a general piece of evidence was not sufficient to charge an accused for a particular incident.
The court said there was no specific evidence to show that the accused had engaged in a criminal conspiracy.
"I find that accused Ajmat Ali, Shadab Alam, Naved, Mohammed Shahid, Mohammed Sakir, Nadeem, Mohammed Sohail, Sultan Ahmed, Wazid, Suleman and Mohammed Faeem, are entitled for discharge. Hence, all the accused persons are hereby discharged in this case," it said.
The court said the statements of two eyewitnesses were "vague" and "general."
It noted that according to the investigating officer (IO), he saw two mobs raising slogans against each other and they later started throwing stones and torching vehicles.
"IO should have ascertained as to which mob was responsible for a particular incident. However, he did not make an investigation on this line," the court said.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
