A Delhi court on Monday criticised the Delhi Police for fabricating a case and violating the rights of six men by falsely accusing them of arson during the 2020 Delhi riots, Live Law reported.

Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh of the Karkardooma Court acquitted all six men, describing the investigation “shoddy” and the case “cooked up” to falsely implicate the accused.

The six men – Ishu Gupta, Prem Prakash, Raj Kumar, Manish Sharma, Rahul and Amit – had been accused of being part of a mob that set fire to homes, shops and a two-wheeler near the Azizia Masjid in Gamri Extension on February 25, 2020.

Judge Singh observed that the only eyewitness presented by the prosecution, Head Constable Vikas, was “completely unreliable” with respect to the persons accused in the matter.

The court also pointed out inconsistencies in the police’s version of events.

“It is apparent that merely in order to work out a case, a false case has been foisted upon the accused,” the court said in its order.

“There has been an egregious padding of evidence by the investigating officer, resulting in serious trampling of the rights of the accused, who have probably been chargesheeted just to show the case has been solved,” the order added. “This is deeply troubling.”

Singh also criticised the supervising officers, including the station house officer and assistant commissioner of police, for forwarding the chargesheet “in a mechanical manner” despite “glaring defects” in the investigation, The Indian Express reported.

In his order, Singh directed that a copy of the judgment be sent to the commissioner of Delhi Police with a request to take remedial action.

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.

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