The councillor’s son was also a witness in the case but he did not turn up to depose.
According to the prosecution, the accused persons had broken into the house of the councillor, Madhav Prasad, armed with a country-made pistol and iron rods and fired at one of his family members who sustained injury on his right hand. They had also beaten up other members of his family and ransacked the house.
The councillor, his nephew and the persons who were injured in the attack were witnesses in the case but they all turned hostile in the trial.
The Adarsh Nagar in North-West Delhi police had lodged the case on the basis of a complaint by the nephew of the councillor. The forensic examination report of the empty cartridge and the firearm said that no definite opinion could be given.
“Though the incident had happened inside the house, no cartridge or its case or lead could be recovered from that room where Sandeep (councillor’s family member) was allegedly hit. Recovery is either from outside street or from the stair-case, which also creates doubt in the authenticity of the case of prosecution,” the court said.
Before barging into the house of the councillor at night, the accused persons earlier in the day had an altercation with the councillor, his son and nephew over parking of vehicles. The three were returning from a marriage ceremony. They knew the accused persons.
“The genesis of incident is also under cloud. As far as accused Neetu alias Sunil is concerned, he is acquitted of all the charges levelled against him. Remaining accused persons are also given benefit of doubt and are acquitted of all the charges levelled against them,” Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Jain said in his judgment.