Headlines
16 policemen acquitted in 1987 Meerut massacre
New Delhi, March 21
Sixteen policemen were
acquitted by a court here on Saturday of the charges of murder and other
crimes in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre case in which 42 people were
killed in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut city.
Additional Sessions Judge
Sanjay Jindal acquitted 16 Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel
of the charges dealing with murder, attempt to murder, tampering with
evidence and conspiracy.
Suresh Chand Sharma, Niranjan Lal, Kamal
Singh, Rambir Singh, Sami Ullah, Mahesh Prasad, Jaipal Singh, Ram
Dhayam, Sarwan Kumar, Leela Dhar, Hambir Singh, Kunwar Pazal Singh,
Budha Singh, Budhi Singh, Mokham Singh and Basant Vallabh were facing
trial in the case.
The court said all the accused are acquitted
of all charges framed against them by giving them the benefit of doubt
for want of sufficient evidence regarding their identity.
The
court said although the accused persons have been acquitted in this
case, it felt the victims and affected families should be rehabilitated.
A recommendation was made to the District Legal Service Authority to award compensation to victims, the court said.
There were 19 accused in the case. However, three of them died during the trial.
The
killings had allegedly occurred during riots in Meerut city when the
victims were picked up from the Hashimpura Mohalla of the city by
personnel of the 41st Battalion of the PAC during a search operation.
The
charge sheet in the case was filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate
Ghaziabad in 1996. The case was transferred to Delhi in September 2002
on the order of the Supreme Court following a petition by the families
of the massacre victims and survivors.
A sessions court here in
July 2006 framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, tampering with
evidence and conspiracy against all the accu