Mon Dec 08 06:40:07 UTC 2025: Summary:

A Thane court acquitted ten individuals after a 19-year trial related to a 2006 riot and alleged attempted murder of police officers in Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra. The prosecution’s case was hampered by a lack of independent witnesses, vague evidence, failure to conduct an identification parade, and key witnesses retracting their original statements. The judge ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. The riot was in response to an incident in Kanpur.

News Article:

Thane Court Acquits 10 in 2006 Riot Case Due to Weak Evidence

Thane, Maharashtra – December 8, 2025 – A Thane court has acquitted ten individuals initially accused of rioting and attempting to murder police personnel during a protest in Ulhasnagar back in 2006. The decision, made on December 1st by Additional Sessions Judge P. R. Ashturkar, cited insufficient and vague evidence presented by the prosecution. The order was made available today.

The case stemmed from a protest on November 30, 2006, following an incident in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The prosecution alleged that a large group of people gathered in Ulhasnagar and caused damage to public and private property, and attacked police officers. Fourteen individuals were initially charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Bombay Police Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. However, the case against four of the accused was dropped due to their deaths during the prolonged trial.

Judge Ashturkar emphasized the absence of independent witnesses and the lack of any identification parade to link the accused to the alleged crimes within a crowd of 2,000-2,500 people. He also noted that two key witnesses retracted their initial statements, further weakening the prosecution’s case.

“The evidence adduced by the prosecution is very general and vague,” the court stated in its ruling. “It is not sufficient enough to bring home the guilt of the accused persons, that too beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The acquitted individuals include Kishor Tarachand Pawar, Milind Damodar Nikam, Nitin Rohidas Bhalerao, Pankaj Sitaram Baviskar, Sanjay Dhudku Jadhav, Parmeshwar Dilip Baviskar, Sanjay Ratan Nikam, Vijay Bharat Tambe, Sunil Pralhad Sakpale, and Gautam Ramdas Dhivre.

The ruling highlights the challenges of securing convictions in cases reliant on witness testimony and the importance of robust evidence collection.

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