Six men convicted for rioting and arson during February 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
Court found the accused part of a mob armed with lathis and dandas, causing property damage.
Sentencing for the convicted is scheduled for September 19.
Delhi Court Convicts Six Men In 2020 Northeast Delhi Riots Case
Court rules mob violence and arson proven; sentencing scheduled for September 19.
Summary
A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted six men — Hariom Gupta, Basant Kumar Mishra, Gorakh Nath, Rohit Gautam, Kapil Pandey and Bheem Sain, for their involvement in the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots, a period marked by communal unrest, property destruction, and multiple casualties.
Additional sessions Judge Praveen Singh observed that on February 25, 2020, between 11 and 11.30 pm, the accused, as part of a mob of 100–150 people, broke into a shop, ransacked it, and set its articles and the store on fire. The court noted that the assembly was armed with lathis and dandas, which could have been used as deadly weapons, and therefore committed the offence of rioting while being armed with deadly weapons, reported PTI.
The shop owner, who filed the complaint, suffered losses of approximately Rs 1.5 lakh, according to the prosecution.
The court said the common object of the unlawful assembly was to commit riots, arson and mischief, and that these acts fell under Section 435 of the Indian Penal Code (mischief by fire or explosive substance causing loss of Rs 100 or more). The accused were, however, acquitted under Section 436 IPC, which pertains to mischief by fire with intent to destroy a house, PTI reported.
The court further noted that the testimony of a key eyewitness, head constable Sandeep, remained unshaken despite cross-examination by the defence.
Arguments on sentencing have been scheduled for September 19.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published At: