A Delhi court has acquitted a person who was accused of having murdered a 22-year-old man during the riots that took place in the national capital in February 2020, Live Law reported.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala acquitted Mohammad Shahnawaz, alias Shanu, on February 24, citing the lack of substantive evidence against him.

The case pertained to the death of a man named Dilbar Negi, whose half-burnt body was found in a warehouse in North East Delhi’s Chaman Park area on February 26, 2020. Shahnawaz was accused of having thrown petrol bombs on the warehouse, leading to Negi’s death, PTI reported.

In October 2023, the court had discharged 11 out of 12 men accused of involvement in the case, but had framed charges against Shahnawaz.

However, in its order on February 24, the court said that a key prosecution witness had denied having seen the warehouse being set on fire, and that another witness’ statement on the question of identifying Shahnawaz had been “shaky”.

“Another cited eyewitness…even denied the suggestion of having seen Shanu entering the afore-said godown at about 9 pm or having seen the rioters setting that godown on fire at that time,” Pramachala said in his order.

The prosecution had alleged that rioters in the area threw stones, shouted anti-Hindu slogans, and torched shops and houses before setting the warehouse, where Negi was hiding, on fire.

Clashes had broken out in North East Delhi in February 2020 between supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it. The violence left 53 dead and hundreds injured.

The Delhi Police has claimed that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame the Narendra Modi government and was plotted by those who organised the protests against the contentious citizenship law.

Also read: Five years later: Delhi Police’s riots conspiracy case is built on sand