MUMBAI: Thirty-one years after a now 55-year-old hawker was accused of being a part of a mob concerned in rioting and setting ablaze New Bombay Bakery and a home in Bhandup in the course of the 1993 Mumbai communal riots, a classes court docket final week acquitted him for lack of proof. The accused, Harish Chandra Nadar, was arrested on Jan 16 this 12 months and was refused bail.
His lawyer had submitted that he was residing on the identical deal with and his earlier advocate had knowledgeable him that the matter is over, therefore, he didn’t seem earlier than the court docket earlier.
It was the prosecution’s case that on Jan 12, 1993, a police constable was patrolling the world. He learnt that round 10 am, 40- 50 individuals had gathered to commit rioting and burning. The patrolling cops reached the spot the place smoke was seen coming from New Bombay Bakery. A crowd was gathered there. Seeing the cops, they fled. They have been chased however couldn’t be caught. A criticism was filed at Bhandup police station.
After completion of investigation, the chargesheet was filed in opposition to 4 accused, together with Nadar. Two accused – Anandkumar Nadar and Shashi Tiyar – are nonetheless absconding. The trial in opposition to a fourth accused was separated. However he too was acquitted in 2001 because of lack of proof.
To show guilt of the accused, the prosecution examined solely two witnesses. The complainant police constable iterated the contents of criticism and acknowledged that when he reached the spot, he noticed the bakery burning.
There have been 30-40 individuals within the crowd who dispersed on seeing him and the police squad. He chased these individuals however they managed to run away.
The second witness of prosecution was a person whose home was burnt within the riot. He acknowledged that his home was in the identical premises of the bakery. As a result of communal riots, he mentioned that he had gone to his village. His pal known as as much as inform him that his home had been burnt within the riot. He got here and noticed his home burnt and all articles in it have been destroyed.
The decide mentioned that from the proof of each these witnesses, no offence was made out in opposition to the accused. “Each these witnesses didn’t disclose how accused…was implicated on this offence. Therefore, it isn’t proved that accused…was a part of the illegal meeting gathered for rioting and had set hearth to the bakery,” the decide mentioned.
His lawyer had submitted that he was residing on the identical deal with and his earlier advocate had knowledgeable him that the matter is over, therefore, he didn’t seem earlier than the court docket earlier.
It was the prosecution’s case that on Jan 12, 1993, a police constable was patrolling the world. He learnt that round 10 am, 40- 50 individuals had gathered to commit rioting and burning. The patrolling cops reached the spot the place smoke was seen coming from New Bombay Bakery. A crowd was gathered there. Seeing the cops, they fled. They have been chased however couldn’t be caught. A criticism was filed at Bhandup police station.
After completion of investigation, the chargesheet was filed in opposition to 4 accused, together with Nadar. Two accused – Anandkumar Nadar and Shashi Tiyar – are nonetheless absconding. The trial in opposition to a fourth accused was separated. However he too was acquitted in 2001 because of lack of proof.
To show guilt of the accused, the prosecution examined solely two witnesses. The complainant police constable iterated the contents of criticism and acknowledged that when he reached the spot, he noticed the bakery burning.
There have been 30-40 individuals within the crowd who dispersed on seeing him and the police squad. He chased these individuals however they managed to run away.
The second witness of prosecution was a person whose home was burnt within the riot. He acknowledged that his home was in the identical premises of the bakery. As a result of communal riots, he mentioned that he had gone to his village. His pal known as as much as inform him that his home had been burnt within the riot. He got here and noticed his home burnt and all articles in it have been destroyed.
The decide mentioned that from the proof of each these witnesses, no offence was made out in opposition to the accused. “Each these witnesses didn’t disclose how accused…was implicated on this offence. Therefore, it isn’t proved that accused…was a part of the illegal meeting gathered for rioting and had set hearth to the bakery,” the decide mentioned.
