Mumbai: In a recent development in Maharashtra’s Thane district, a court has ordered the acquittal of seven farmers who were arrested under the SC-ST Act for allegedly beating up a villager. The victim was injured in the incident, and a case was registered against the farmers under the SC-ST Act (Prevention of Atrocities) based on the victim’s complaint.
However, Special Judge (SC-ST Act) AS Bhagwat, in his order, said that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations. He noted that the evidence presented in the case was contradictory and ambiguous and that the prosecution’s case was based only on suspicions. As a result, the judge ordered the acquittal of the accused.
The incident, which took place in July 2016, saw the accused allegedly attack the victim with sticks and rods and ransack his hut in Vasuri village in Khadakpada. The acquitted farmers belong to the Thakur community.
The judge’s decision to acquit the accused has come as a relief to them, as they were wrongly implicated in the case. The ruling also highlights the need for a thorough investigation and concrete evidence before charging individuals with serious offenses such as those under the SC-ST Act.
