"Disclosure Statements By Itself Have No Value In The Eyes Of Law": Court Discharges Six Men In A Delhi Riots Case

A Delhi Court has discharged six men in relation to a case concerning the North East Delhi riots that erupted in the national capital in 2020.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, who took note of the fact that the only incriminating material against them was their disclosure statements made by them consequent to their arrest, observed that such disclosure statements, by itself, have no value in the eyes of law.

The Court discharged Amir, Saddam, Mohd. Rahis, Amir, Akram and Wasim under sec. 147, 148, 427, 436 read with sec. 149 of IPC.

FIR 58/2020 was registered at Jyoti Nagar police station pursuant to a DD entry received after which the officials reached at the parking lot behind Ambedkar college where they found that two tractors and 3-4 reharis were lying in burnt condition by the rioters.

It then came to the light that around 600 to 700 rioters were sloganaring and were armed with rods and explosive material.

It was thus the case of the prosecution that the matter pertained to ransacking and arsoning of property by an armed unlawful assembly, in prosecution of their common object and which committed mischief of burning of the parked vehicles and reharies. It was therefore prayed that charges may be framed against the accused persons.

"The only incriminating material against the said six accused persons is the disclosure statements made by them consequent to their arrest. Disclosure statements, by itself, has no value in the eyes of law," the Court said.

The Judge added that there was no witness, whether public or police, who had identified the accused persons while committing the offences in question.

"Based upon the contents of the entire charge-sheet including the annexures, I am of the opinion that there is no worthwhile material at all to frame charges against any of the accused persons in respect of the offences covered in the present case," the Court said.

Accordingly, the accused were discharged.

Title: State vs. Amir & Ors.

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