Court acquits three in 2016 kidnapping for ransom case

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) A Delhi court recently acquitted three men in a 2016 kidnapping for ransom case, saying there was no incriminating offence to establish their identities.

Additional sessions judge Vishal Pahuja was hearing a case against the accused persons charged under various provisions of the IPC, including kidnapping and robbery or dacoity to commit grievous hurt.

In an order dated December 16, the court said, "Prosecution has examined three star witnesses to prove its case, of which two were the victims and the third one was the complainant (father of a victim). All the witnesses in their examination-in-chief have turned hostile and failed to identify the accused persons as the assailants in this case." It said neither there was scientific evidence -- call recordings or call detail records -- nor there was any forensic evidence establishing their guilt.

"No other incriminating evidence has been lead on record by the prosecution to connect or attribute the role of the accused persons being the perpetrators of the crime in this case. All the star witnesses including the victims failed to identify the accused persons, thus, their identities remained unestablished," the verdict said.

Giving benefit of the doubt, the court acquitted Rahul Yadav, Bharat Yadav and Iqbal alias Kala of all charges.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons kidnapped the complainant’s son and his driver and demanded a ransom of Rs 60 lakh in October, 2015.

The FIR was registered in Fatehpuri Beri police station. PTI MNR AMK