North-east Delhi riots: 12 acquitted in murder case as ‘prosecution could share only fragments, pieces of evidence'
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala observed in the acquittal order dated April 30 that in the name of circumstantial evidence, the 'prosecution could show only fragments and pieces of evidence'.
The case stems from the recovery of three bodies from a drain in north-east Delhi's Gokalpuri on February 27, 2020. One of them was identified as Ali, who had been reported missing at the Gokalpuri police station. An eyewitness reported seeing the 12 carrying stones, sticks, swords, and iron rods and shouting religious slogans.
The prosecution had accused Lokesh Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Jatin Sharma, Himanshu Thakur, Vivek Panchal, Rishabh Chaudhary, Sumit Chaudhary, Tinku Arora, Sandeep, and Sahil of killing nine Muslim persons after ascertaining their identities.
The court noted that the evidence shared by the prosecution did not support its theory that Ali was intercepted by Mr. Solanki and others. It also rejected the evidence in the form of WhatsApp chats of a group named 'Kattar Hindu Ekta', of which Mr. Solanki and the others were members, noting that the police had relied on the same chats in cases pertaining to the nine other killings.
'The prosecution also relied on the recovery of a stick each from Himanshu, Jatin and Vivek in other cases. Those sticks were sent to the GTB Hospital Forensics Department. The board of doctors were of the opinion that the injuries on the body of Hashim could be caused by those sticks. However, at the same time, nothing more was found on any of those sticks, so as to say that the same sticks were used to inflict the injuries,' the judge added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Surgeon duped of ₹95 lakh in elaborate cyber scam
MUMBAI: A 35-year-old orthopedic surgeon working at a leading hospital in Parel was cheated of ₹95 lakh in an elaborate cyber fraud. Early in 2025 a woman befriended him online then later asked him for money claiming that a hacker, who had hacked into their intimate chats, was demanding a ransom. Surgeon duped of ₹ 95 lakh in elaborate cyber scam According to the police, the surgeon began chatting with the woman after accepting her friend request on Instagram. The woman claimed she was an MBBS student from a medical college in Chandigarh, and the academic pressure had left her feeling lonely and depressed. The police said the duo then connected on Whatsapp and their friendship took on an intimate nature involving the exchange of nude photos and sexually explicit conversations. The surgeon even paid for gifts demanded by the woman, the police added. In May, the woman claimed she was coming to meet the victim in Mumbai and even sent him photos of her business class flight tickets. However, when the doctor checked the passenger list online, he could not find her. The police said that on May 2, the woman told the surgeon that someone from Thailand had hacked into their chats using the Pegasus spyware and was threatening to make the chats public if she did not pay him 3.1 bitcoins worth ₹2.5 crores. 'She told the doctor she was afraid and was going to sell all her jewellery to pay the hacker,' said a police officer. Although suspicious, the surgeon believed her. The police said the woman then asked him for money, threatening to write to the Medical Council, file a sexual harassment complaint against him. She even told him that she would send the council the sexually explicit pictures he had sent her. From April to July, the surgeon paid her ₹94.47 lakhs in about 42 transactions. The police added that he had even taken out loans from the back to pay her. However, he later realised that the bank account provided by the girl was under a different name. He then looked her up in the list of students at the Chandigarh college and found a girl of the same name who had been enrolled not in an MBBS course but in a bachelor of Arts degree in 2021. The police said that on August 12, the woman contacted the surgeon's wife claiming she had 'interesting stuff to share'. Realising he had been cheated, the surgeon finally approached the police. The central cyber police have registered an offence under sections 308 (extortion), 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and various sections of the Information Technology Act.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Superstition ruining lives
Patna: West Champaran's Lakshmi Devi (name changed), now in her 80s, still fears returning to her native village in Bagaha block, even after 21 years. The memories of that cold winter morning in Dec 2004 remain vivid. She was cooking when hundreds of villagers, men and women alike, stormed her home. They shaved her head, blackened her face and paraded her through the village with a garland of shoes before throwing her out. Her crime, in their eyes, was being a "witch". Her young son had died, her daughter-in-law had left for her maternal home with two children and when a village child fell ill, suspicion fell on her. After the violent humiliation, she took shelter with her brother in a nearby village before leaving Bihar for good, settling in Gorakhpur with her husband. Those who chose to remain in their villages faced a different prison. "Many say they get out at 2 or 3 in the morning to fetch water so that no one can see them. If anyone falls sick in the neighbourhood, they pray for their wellness so that she is not blamed. Their children are discriminated against in schools, because no one plays with them. At times, they face economic punishment like fines or organising a feast for the entire village," said social activist Santosh Sharma. Such medieval cruelty still shadows rural Bihar, even as the state boasts progress. Political speeches have long invoked women's empowerment with schemes from both state and central govts, yet this is one area where the promises ring hollow. Activists insist Bihar's pioneering Prevention of Witch Practices Act is not enough. They call for a stronger law and a carrot-and-stick approach towards panchayats, which often act as the final authority in village disputes. Superstition remains the dominant cause, fuelled by poor education and limited healthcare in remote, marginalised communities, particularly among Dalit, OBC and EBC groups. In the absence of reliable medical care, villagers turn to ojhas (traditional healers), who often blame illness on a defenceless woman, convincing others they are "killing the evil". Psychologist Nidhi Singh of Magadh Mahila College said, "Humans have a tendency to draw conclusions and find reasons as to why anything is happening. This cognitive bias often leads to biases against people who are vulnerable, lonely or have a physical handicap." Personal grudges also play a part. Sharma recounted the case of a woman who was branded a witch by her own brother and sister-in-law after she claimed her share of her father's property. "It often starts from the family and spreads to the neighbourhood and ultimately the village," she said, pointing to a patriarchal mindset that punishes vocal and independent women. Her trust's survey found that women in leadership roles or those who assert themselves are often targeted, alongside the socially vulnerable. Mental illness, Singh said, is frequently misinterpreted as witchcraft. Most victims are middle-aged and from dalit, Muslim, OBC and EBC communities. Incidents often rise during the monsoon when seasonal diseases strike. The impact is devastating. Survivors frequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder, sometimes surfacing years later. "The state should ensure the victims feel safe and their biological processes like eating and sleeping happen on time. Then comes grief resolution before they can be brought to the mainstream. The state machinery's duty doesn't end with compensation but it should keep track of their well-being from time to time," said Singh, warning that survivors often display extreme behaviours in response to stress. She added that many women suffer inter-generational trauma, passing on stress and mistrust to their children. Shame, humiliation and the relentless memory of their ordeal, now amplified by social media, can lead to self harm, suicidal thoughts and self-loathing. "It is a state failure that they can't be provided with long-term therapies," she said. According to additional director general (weaker section) Amit Jain, victims are entitled to interim financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 under the 'Astitwa Yojana', provided by the district-level 'Manav Panan Samiti'. Experts suggest tackling both the root causes and immediate triggers. Weekly police patrols in vulnerable villages could act as a deterrent. Singh advocates education as the most powerful tool: "Panchayat leaders can spread awareness about mental illnesses and against superstitious beliefs like witchcraft through nukkad natak, distributing pamphlets and other means. Village priests and healers can teach compassion. " D M Diwakar, former director of A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies, believes the focus should be on shaping young minds with scientific temperament while basic healthcare access could prevent many accusations from arising at all. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: LSE graduate among 3 held for cyber extortion racket run from Thailand
Delhi Police arrested three men, including a London School of Economics (LSE) graduate, for allegedly running an international cyber extortion racket from Thailand to clear mounting debts. The accused—Sumit (42), Prince (35), and Nitish (31)—posed as a notorious gangster and threatened a Delhi-based businessman over WhatsApp, demanding cryptocurrency payments, police said. The trio were arrested soon after they returned to India. Police recovered two mobile phones—one used to generate the crypto QR code and another for WhatsApp calls. (Representational image) Police said the businessman, whose identity has been withheld, approached Desh Bandhu Gupta (DBG) Road police station after receiving a threat call from a Thailand-based number. The caller, impersonating a dreaded gangster, demanded money through a crypto QR code and warned of dire consequences—including harm to his children—if he refused. A case under Section 308(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered, following which a joint team from DBG Road Police Station and the Cyber Police Station (Central District) launched an investigation. Using advanced cyber tools and in coordination with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), investigators traced the call and QR code to Thailand. The accused had purchased an international SIM card there to evade detection. 'The suspects thought operating from abroad would shield them, but our cyber team tracked their digital trail,' said deputy commissioner of police (Central) Nidhin Valsan. The trio were arrested soon after they returned to India. Police recovered two mobile phones—one used to generate the crypto QR code and another for WhatsApp calls. Investigators said Nitish, an LSE postgraduate from Moti Nagar, was the mastermind behind the crypto transactions. Sumit, a BCom graduate and jewellery trader from West Punjabi Bagh, knew the victim personally, while Prince, a Class 9 drop-out from Roshanara Road, assisted in making the threat calls. During interrogation, the men allegedly confessed they were drowning in debt and turned to extortion as a 'quick fix.' 'They used a gangster's name to scare the victim into paying,' said an officer.
