Supreme Court Acquits Six in Post-Godhra Riots Case

The Supreme Court acquitted six individuals in a post-Godhra riots case, emphasizing the need for courts to ensure innocent bystanders are not wrongly convicted. The court expressed caution in relying on general witness testimony and highlighted the importance of concrete evidence in riot cases involving large groups.

The Supreme Court has overturned previous convictions in a post-Godhra riots case, acquitting six people originally found guilty by the Gujarat High Court. The judgment underlined the significant responsibility of courts in ensuring no innocent bystander is wrongly imprisoned when faced with large-group incident cases.

Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra noted the challenge in relying on witness testimony that lacks specificity regarding the role of the accused. The bench emphasized the need for clear proof that the accused were actively part of any unlawful assembly, cautioning against convictions based solely on their presence at a crime scene.

The court noted that while a large public gathering might appear as an unlawful assembly, prosecution must demonstrate involvement beyond mere presence. In this case, the evidence was insufficient to prove guilt, affirming the acquittals and stressing the importance of discernment in judicial decisions concerning group clashes.