Northeast Delhi riots: Court frames charges in vandalism case

NEW DELHI: A city court on Monday framed charges in a shop vandalism case saying the statement of the prosecution witness could not be brushed aside merely because there had been delay in recording as he had not only categorically given the account of the incident, but named/identified the accused people to be allegedly part of the riotous mob.
Additional sessions judge Vinod Yadav framed charges against Ashraf Ali and Parvej under requisite sections, saying, prima facie, there was enough material on record to frame charges against them in the case.
“Though, there is no CCTV footage/video clip of the incident available on record, however, at this stage, we have the statement dated April 21, 2020, of prosecution witness Ajeet Kumar Tomar, vide which he has not only given categorical account of the incident, but also named/identified the accused to be part/member of the riotous mob taking active participation in the rioting activity. At this stage, his statement cannot be brushed aside/discarded merely because there has been some delay in recording, thereof, or the complainant has not specifically named them,” the court observed.
It noted that it found substance in the submissions of the special public prosecutor that the rioters had broken down almost every CCTV camera in the vicinity and damaged the DVRs thereof on February 24 and February 25, 2020, and as such, it was quite possible that on this account no CCTV footage was available in the matter. The accused, meanwhile, had claimed they were falsely implicated in the matter.
According to police, the incident pertained to setting ablaze Mohd Rashid’s shop on February 24 in Shiv Vihar allegedly by the riotous mob due to which his documents pertaining to MCD were also ruined.