The Delhi court on Thursday acquitted two Kashmiri men accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act, highlighting serious doubts over the manner in which weapons and ammunition were allegedly recovered in 2018. The decision by Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal of Patiala House Court raises questions about the prosecution’s evidence and investigative procedures in the high-profile case.
The accused, Jamshed Zahoor Paul and Parvez Rashid, faced charges under Sections 18 and 20 of the UAPA for conspiring to commit terrorist acts and being members of a banned terrorist organization, along with Section 25 of the Arms Act for allegedly possessing illegal firearms and ammunition.
Court Highlights Flaws in Police Investigation
During the trial, the court scrutinized the seizure memo, site plan, and related documents submitted by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The judge noted that the documents bore the FIR number, but the prosecution failed to explain whether the FIR was registered before or after the alleged seizure.
“The inclusion of the FIR number in these documents clearly raises serious doubts,” the court said. “Whether the FIR was filed before the alleged recovery or the number was later added, in both scenarios, the veracity of the prosecution’s claim is questionable.”
Judge Bansal observed that although the alleged recovery occurred in a busy public area where witnesses could have been present, no independent witnesses were called during the seizure operation. The court emphasized that failing to include public witnesses deepens doubts about the authenticity of the weapons and ammunition recovery.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.
