Delhi court acquits seven men of murder in 2020 riots case

A Delhi court has acquitted seven men of murder and rioting charges related to the fatal assault of an auto-rickshaw driver during the 2020 Delhi riots. The case involved the death of a driver named Babbu, who died at GTB Hospital following an attack at Khajuri Chowk on February 25, 2020.

Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh ruled that the prosecution failed to establish the defendants' involvement in the killing. The court noted that the testimony of a police witness lacked corroboration and that available video footage was of insufficient quality to identify the individuals or confirm the identity of the victim.

While cleared of murder, rioting with deadly weapons, and promoting enmity, the seven men—Kuldeep Singh, Harjeet Singh, Rahul, Sachin Rastogi, Bharat Bhushan, Sandeep, and Dharmendra—were convicted under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violating prohibitory orders imposed during the unrest. Another accused, Sachin Gupta, was acquitted of all charges after being granted the benefit of doubt.