Delhi court has acquitted five men accused of vandalism and arson at a mosque in Karawal Nagar during the 2020 North East Delhi riots (Representational Image)

A Delhi court has acquitted five men accused of vandalism and arson at a mosque in Karawal Nagar during the 2020 North East Delhi riots. The court cited a lack of credible eyewitnesses, contradictory statements and inadmissibility of electronic evidence during acquittal.

As per the prosecution, which examined 14 witnesses, Allah Wali Mosque was set on fire by a mob and a statue was placed on the slab outside it. The mob, which included these five accused, committed vandalism and arson in the mosque around 11 pm on February 24, 2020, on February 25,2020, around 11 am. The five men, who have been acquitted, were facing allegations of rioting with a deadly weapon, unlawful assembly, and arson, among others.

The court noted that the testimony of an independent public witness contradicted the police witnesses regarding the occurrence of the incident.…