India News | Four Acquitted in 2014 Assault Case
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A Delhi court has acquitted four men accused of assaulting a couple in a private club in Chanakyapuri area in the capital, observing all material witnesses failed to identify them.
New Delhi, July 17 (PTI) A Delhi court has acquitted four men accused of assaulting a couple in a private club in Chanakyapuri area in the capital, observing all material witnesses failed to identify them.
Additional sessions judge Kiran Gupta was hearing the case against the four accused persons booked for house trespass, attempt to commit culpable homicide and criminal intimidation, among other IPC provisions.
The offence of assault or criminal force to a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty was subsequently added to the case.
The complainant Pankaj Arora alleged the accused persons trespassed in the club on the intervening night of May 2 and 3, 2014, and hit his head with a beer bottle besides thrashing his fiancee, Kanika, when she tried to intervene.
When the accused tried to escape, he caught hold one of them, who was later identified as one Sunny Sharma.
On July 10, the court, however, said, "All material witnesses have resiled from their earlier statements. Kanika in her initial statement did not level any allegations of molestation or using filthy language against any of the accused persons."
In her cross-examination, Kanika was observed to have said that since it was dark inside the club, the faces of the persons involved in the quarrel were not visible to her.
"She further admitted the suggestion (of the defence counsel) that no abusive or obscene language was used against her on the date of the incident by anyone," the court added.
Only because he was apprehended from the spot doesn't prove the allegations against him, the court noted.
"As regards the other accused persons, all the public/material witnesses have failed to identify them. None of the prosecution witnesses has deposed against them," the order said.
It further came on record that Krishan, Manish Dedha and Narender were arrested subsequently based on the CCTV footage, but the footage was never played in the court during the testimony of the material witnesses.
"In the absence of any incriminating evidence against the accused persons, all are acquitted of the offences," the court held.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)