2020 Delhi riots: Court acquits two accused of rioting, arson in Chand Bagh

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) A court here has acquitted two people of all charges connected to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the prosecution failed to prove the case against them beyond a reasonable doubt.

Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh was hearing the case against Prashant Malhotra and Gaurav, who were accused of being part of a riotous mob that torched a shop on February 24, 2020, and committed arson and vandalism in the Chand Bagh area.

In an order dated December 24, 2025, the court said, “In view of my aforesaid discussion, I find that the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubt. The accused are therefore entitled to benefit of doubt. Both the accused are accordingly acquitted of all the charges framed against them.” The duo was arrested after the owner of a fruit shop in Chandh Bagh, Ganesh, filed a complaint alleging that his shop and house were torched by a mob. The accused were identified by two policemen from a viral video of the rioting.

The court noted that the video, which was relied upon by the prosecution, did not pertain to the same incident and did not prove the guilt of the accused.

“I find that the video which the prosecution relied upon in this case does not pertain to the incidents of this case and was only used for identification of the accused in that video as the persons who committed the incidents, which are the subject matter of the present FIR,” the judge said.

The FIR was registered under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50 or upwards), 435 (mischief by fire), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) and 34 (common intention) in the Khajuri Khas police station. PTI SKM ARI