Jaipur Court Acquits 14 in 25-Year-Old Tonk Communal Riot Double Murder Case
A special court in Jaipur, handling communal riot cases under the jurisdiction of the Rajasthan High Court, has acquitted 14 individuals in a double murder case that originated from communal riots 25 years ago. The verdict was delivered on Friday by Special Judge Shweta Gupta, who granted the accused the benefit of doubt.
Court Cites Prosecution Failures and Insufficient Evidence
In her ruling, Judge Gupta observed that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. She described the evidence presented as "incomplete, doubtful, unreliable, and inconsistent with the factual matrix of the case." The court highlighted several critical shortcomings in the investigation and prosecution.
The acquitted individuals include Ram Prasad, Ratanlal, Ramswaroop, Devkaran, Shyojiram, Ram Kishore, Sukhlal, Chhotu, Bachhraj, Kistur, Hiralal, Satyanarayan, Kishanlal, and another person also named Kishanlal, all residents of Malpura in Tonk district.
Defense Arguments and Investigation Flaws
Defense counsels VK Bali and Sonal Dadhich argued that the police investigation was fundamentally flawed. Bali stated, "No weapons were recovered from the accused, no test identification parade was conducted, and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team did not visit the alleged crime scene." The court concurred, noting that the presence of the accused at the spot could not be established, as the attackers had covered their faces, and witnesses failed to identify them.
Furthermore, the court found significant contradictions in witness statements, and the existence of multiple persons with similar names in the village complicated the investigation, leading to doubts about the accused's involvement.
Background of the Case
The case relates to the tragic killing of two children—10-year-old Jumma and 14-year-old Bunty alias Ishaq—who went to graze goats in a forest area on July 10, 2000, in the Malpura police station area of Tonk district. A complaint was lodged the following day by their relative Rustam Khan, alleging that members of a particular community murdered the children during communal riots.
Initially, police filed a chargesheet against 22 accused. Over the years, the case saw developments: five were discharged by the High Court in 2016, one was declared a juvenile, and one has since died, leaving 14 to face trial until their recent acquittal.
This verdict underscores the challenges in prosecuting old communal riot cases, where evidence may deteriorate or become unreliable over time, impacting the pursuit of justice.
