Court acquits man accused of assaulting public servant

New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) A Delhi court has acquitted a man accused of assaulting an on-duty Delhi Police official, saying the public servant's testimony was unreliable and not corroborated by credible evidence.

Judicial magistrate Shashank Nandan Bhatt was hearing a case against the accused, Mandeep Singh, was booked by the Rajouri Garden police station under IPC Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of his public functions) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty).

According to the prosecution, Singh was stopped by the ASI while riding his scooter on October 7, 2017, at a traffic signal in Subhash Nagar.

When asked to produce his driving license, the accused abused and physically assaulted the police official, left his scooter at the spot and fled, it alleged.

In an order dated August 11, the court said the testimony of the complainant, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Satish Kumar, appeared unreliable and did not "inspire confidence".

"Additionally, for reasons best known to the investigating officer, the allegedly torn uniform of the complainant was never recovered in the present matter, which again leaves out the scope of any corroboration of the testimony of the complainant," the order said.

The court said the complainant’s "unreliable testimony" was not corroborated by any credible material on record.

Besides, it pointed out an "unexplained delay" in registering the FIR, and conducting the test identification parade.

"The case of the prosecution cannot be regarded as having been proved as per the touchstone of beyond a reasonable doubt," the court held. PTI MNR MNR AMK AMK