Tue Apr 01 04:43:11 UTC 2025: ## Delhi Court Acquits 12 Men Accused in 2020 Riot Murders
**New Delhi, April 1, 2025** – A Delhi court acquitted 12 men accused of murdering two individuals during the 2020 Delhi riots, citing insufficient evidence to link them to the crimes. Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala dismissed the prosecution’s case, ruling that WhatsApp chats presented as evidence confessing to the murders were not considered “substantive evidence.”
The court stated that while the murders were proven to have occurred, the prosecution failed to definitively establish the accused’s involvement, including the time, place, and whether the crime was committed by an unlawful assembly. A key witness’s testimony was deemed unreliable due to its generalized nature. The judge noted that the WhatsApp messages, used by the prosecution in multiple cases, could have been boastful or intended to impress other group members, lacking the necessary weight to secure convictions.
The acquitted individuals are Lokesh Kumar Solanki, Pankaj Sharma, Ankit Chaudhary, Prince, Jatin Sharma, Himanshu Thakur, Vivek Panchal, Rishabh Chaudhary, Sumit Chaudhary, Tinku Arora, Sandeep, and Sahil. The victims, Aamin and Bhure Ali, were allegedly killed and their bodies disposed of in drains in February 2020. The ruling concludes a significant case related to the 2020 Delhi riots, sparking renewed debate on the handling of evidence in such complex situations.
First Piper 