JAIPUR: A special court handling riot cases in Jaipur on Wednesday acquitted 10 men in the 26-year-old Malpura communal riot case, citing lack of credible evidence and giving them the benefit of doubt.Special Judge Shewta Gupta said the prosecution failed to prove charges of murder and attempted murder beyond reasonable doubt, noting that most witnesses had turned hostile. “Majority of the witnesses in the case have turned hostile and it has certainly put a dent on the allegations levelled by the prosecution against the accused,” the court said.The court also flagged “inconsistencies in witness testimonies and lack of corroborative evidence” linking the accused to the crime. “The prosecution has failed to prove the charges with sufficient evidence,” it said.Those acquitted were Mohammad Imtiyaz, Abdul Latif, Javed Ali, Wasim Ahmad, Ishaq, Abdul Wahid, Rafiq Ahmad, Munir, Rauf and Nawab.Defence counsel Abdul Wahid Naqvi said the accused were falsely implicated. “Police have failed to bring concrete proof of their involvement in the violence. Also during the trial several witnesses did not support the prosecution’s version,” he argued. He also said no fresh evidence was produced against other accused whose investigations were pending, and claimed the alleged weapons had no blood traces, raising doubts over the prosecution’s case.The case relates to communal violence in Malpura town of Tonk district in July 2000. A dispute escalated into violence and a mob attack near a police station, leaving four people dead and several injured. Complainant Manju Devi filed an FIR at Malpura Police Station, alleging she and others were attacked while travelling in a jeep during the unrest.In Feb this year, the same court acquitted 14 people in a related case involving charges of murder, attempted murder and rioting.
