First Convict in Delhi Riots Case Sentenced to Five Years in Jail

Dinesh Yadav, the first convict in a Delhi riots case, was part of the mob that attacked Manori's home.

First conviction in Delhi riots case: Man given 5-year jail term

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Dinesh Yadav, the first person to be convicted in connection with the Delhi riots, was sentenced to five years in jail by a Delhi court on Thursday, 20 January.

His lawyer, Shikha Garg was quoted by PTI as saying that Dinesh Yadav must also pay a fine of Rs 12,000. The order on his quantum of sentence is yet to be released.

On 6 December, Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat of the Karkardooma court in North East Delhi had pronounced the first conviction in the 2020 Delhi riots. Yadav was found guilty of being a part of a riotous mob that entered a 73-year-old woman’s house in Bhagirathi Vihar, Gokulpuri, looting it and setting it ablaze.

The Conviction

Manori, the 73-year-old woman had filed a complaint on 3 March 2020. Statements were taken from her and her grandsons, who were eyewitnesses. Statements by constable Vipin and head constable Sanoj were also recorded by the investigating team.

The key witnesses turned hostile and did not identify the accused. However, the court said that it was clear from their statements that their house had been trespassed, set on fire, robbed, and vandalised by a mob.

When The Quint spoke to the family, they said that they would not comment on the conviction as they could not recognise anyone when the incident took place. They said that their priority at the time was their lives.

The conviction was eventually based on the statements by the two policemen, who testified that they had seen the convict with a wooden rod in the area. The judge had noted that their statements remained consistent even upon cross-examination.

(Sources: NDTV)