10 years on, ex-Mayor among six walk free in rioting, arms case

A local court has acquitted former Mayor Kuldeep Kumar and five others in a 10-year-old rioting and arms case.

The complainant, Head Constable Rajesh Kumar, had stated that on April 5, 2015, the police were informed that two groups armed with rods and sticks were fighting near Balmiki Mandi DMC Colony. He and other cops reached the spot and found the groups abusing each other. On seeing cops, one of them, later identified as Rinku, pulled out a pistol and fires a shot into the air following which all members of the two group ran away. The complainant stated that he recovered an empty shell from the spot.

A case was registered at the Maloya police station. During investigation, the police arrested Kuldeep Kumar, Rinku, Anil, Kulwinder, Mandeep Singh, Arun Kumar and Ravinder Kumar. Weapons were recovered on the disclosure of the accused.

Arun Vohra and Amit Kumar, the counsel for two of the accused persons, argued that the CFSL report did not support the case of the prosecution. It was stated that the empty shell allegedly recovered from the spot was not fired from the pistol recovered from one of the accused. There were no independent witnesses to support the case of the prosecution.

However, the public prosecutor argued that the prosecution proved the case beyond a shadow of doubt .

After hearing the arguments, the court acquitted the six accused of the charges framed against them. Ravinder Kumar, one of the accused, died during the trial.