Accused acquitted after police claims collapsed in court

Amritsar: A local court has acquitted four men who were booked in 2017 under serious charges — including kidnapping, extortion and harbouring offenders -- after finding that the case against them was built on claims that eventually collapsed in court.The judgment has not only brought relief to the accused but also raised serious questions about the conduct of the investigating agency.The FIR was registered on Sept 15, 2017, at the State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar, against Randeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Amandeep Singh, Harjinder Singh Rimple, Sandeep Tiwari, Gurjit Singh, Sagar and Balwinder Singh under IPC sections 364-382, 386, 387, 212, 216, 216-A, 414, 416 and 120, along with Section 32 of Prisons Act.During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that the FIR was nothing more than a fabricated case lodged with mala fide intent to harass and humiliate the accused. "None of the accused is a gangster nor has any of them committed any such crime," the counsel submitted, pointing out that the investigating agency attempted to manufacture evidence to secure a conviction. The investigating officer himself admitted that nothing incriminating was recovered from the possession of any of the accused except mobile phones.Delivering the judgment, additional sessions judge Parinder Singh convicted only one accused, Sagar, under Section 42 of Prisons Act. All remaining accused — Randeep Singh Rimple, Amandeep Singh, Harjinder Singh and Gurjit Singh — were acquitted of all charges.The proceedings against Sandeep Tiwari have been stayed by Punjab and Haryana high court while Balwinder Singh has been declared proclaimed offender, said advocate Gurbir Singh .Expressing relief over the verdict, Randeep Singh Rinkle said the judgment has "restored faith in the judiciary". At the time of the FIR he was an emerging youth leader, and his growing influence led political rivals to conspire to defame him, he said, adding: "Truth can never be buried beneath false allegations. It always finds its way to the surface."