A special court in Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar has acquitted a man in a 29-year-old case registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, citing a lack of reliable evidence after the complainant and several key witnesses died during the prolonged trial.
Special Judge (SC/ST Act) Chintaram acquitted the sole surviving accused, Dayaram, in a case dating back to 1997. The case involved allegations of assault, caste-based abuse, criminal intimidation and offences under the SC/ST Act. The court held that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place on May 30, 1997, in Jaitpur village. The complainant, Shriram Dharikar, alleged that Dayaram, along with co-accused Ramlaut and Mansharam, assaulted him, hurled caste-based slurs and threatened to kill him. The dispute reportedly arose over the alleged encroachment of land allotted to members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes community. An FIR was registered following directions from the Superintendent of Police.
During the lengthy trial, however, the case suffered major setbacks. Both co-accused, Ramlaut and Mansharam, died, leading to the abatement of proceedings against them. The complainant, Shriram Dharikar, and other important witnesses also passed away before the trial concluded, weakening the prosecution’s case.
The prosecution examined two eyewitnesses, Vanshraj and Dharamraj, but both turned hostile in court. They stated that they had neither witnessed the alleged incident nor made the statements attributed to them by the police during the investigation.
In his judgment, Judge Chintaram observed that when the material witnesses fail to support the prosecution’s version and the complainant’s testimony is unavailable, a conviction cannot be sustained solely on the basis of formal documentary evidence. Holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt, the court acquitted Dayaram of all charges.
Following the acquittal, the court also cancelled the accused’s bail bonds, bringing an end to legal proceedings in a case that had remained pending for nearly three decades.
