A Delhi court has acquitted four men accused of throwing acid on a woman in Sangam Vihar here in 2019 after finding serious gaps in the prosecution case, including an unexplained 18-month delay in registration of the FIR.
Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi was hearing a case against Preet Pal, Ramesh, Suresh Chand and Bablu Kumar, who were accused of throwing acid on the woman.
"This court holds that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the charges against any of the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt. The benefit of pervasive doubt, systemic investigative lapses, unexplained delay, and unrefuted defence evidence must inevitably extend to the accused persons,” it said.
Woman alleged chemical attack in Sangam Vihar
The woman, Renu, had alleged that the accused arrived on two motorcycles and threw a chemical at her near a temple in Sangam Vihar on July 9, 2019. She suffered chemical burns on her back and waist.
According to the prosecution, the accused had attacked Renu and subsequently threatened her to withdraw a previous complaint against Preet Pal.
The court, however, found that the FIR in the case was registered only on January 7, 2021, nearly 18 months after the alleged incident. The investigating officer also admitted that he was unaware of the reason for the delay.
The court noted that the prosecution case largely rested on Renu's testimony. During cross-examination, the girl said she had turned around after feeling a burning sensation on her back.
The court said this meant she had not actually seen who threw the liquid at her and observed that her identification of Preet Pal as the person holding the bottle was a post-facto assumption.
Court flags gaps in investigation
“No specific overt act is proved against Ramesh, Suresh, or Bablu. Similarly, the charges under Sections 195A and 506 IPC lack independent corroboration and fail the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt,” the court said.
The court also questioned the failure of the investigating agency to examine the five to seven persons whom the woman said had gathered at the spot after the incident.
No CCTV footage, call detail records or mobile location data were collected during the investigation. The alleged bottle used in the attack and the motorcycles were also not recovered.
“The investigating agency failed to recover any acid bottle, container, or motorcycles allegedly used during the crime. More critically, the complainant's burnt clothes i.e., the primary physical case property were destroyed in a fire,” the judge said.
Defence alibi not effectively rebutted
The court also took note of defence evidence showing that Ramesh and Suresh Chand were working as MNREGA labourers in Mathura on the date of the alleged incident. The prosecution failed to effectively rebut the official records supporting their alibi.
Holding that the prosecution had failed to establish the essential ingredients of the alleged offences, the court acquitted all four accused.
"Suspicion, however strong, cannot take the place of proof," the court observed.
The court directed the accused to furnish personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each with one surety of the same amount for six months.