Archive · 26 Dec 2025
Court acquits five in 2020 Delhi riots case
A court in Delhi recently let five people go free in a case about the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
The riots were very bad, with many people hurt and lots of property damaged.
The case was about a fight and some buildings being set on fire near a petrol pump.
The police said these five people did it, but the judge didn't believe the police's story.
The judge said the police witnesses weren't reliable and that the police might have just been going through the motions without really investigating.
The judge also found some mistakes in the stories told by different people.
Because of these problems, the judge decided to let the five people go free.
This is one of many cases from the riots, and most of them have ended with people being let go.
A Delhi court acquitted five individuals in a 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case involving stone-pelting and arson near a petrol pump.
The prosecution's case relied on three police witnesses, but the judge found two of them unreliable.
The judge noted inconsistencies in witness testimonies, including conflicting accounts of the petrol pump's operating hours.
The investigating officer's handling of photographic evidence was questioned, as the photos used for identification were dated after the alleged identification.
Over 80% of the 695 cases lodged related to the riots have resulted in acquittals.
- Who
- Five accused: Abdul Sattar, Arif Malik, Khalid, Tanveer, and Hunain
- What
- Acquittal in a rioting and arson case linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots
- When
- Incident occurred in February 2020; acquittal on December 11, 2023
- Where
- Bhajanpura petrol pump, Northeast Delhi
- Why
- Unreliable testimonies and mechanical investigation by the Delhi Police
- Date of Incident
- February 2020
- Location
- Bhajanpura petrol pump, Northeast Delhi
- Number of Accused
- 5
- Number of Witnesses
- 3 police witnesses
- Total Cases Lodged
- 695
- Acquittal Rate
- Over 80%
- Judge
- Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh
- Court
- Karkardooma Court