Chhattisgarh district court acquits 17 in 2023 Biranpur communal clash

A Chhattisgarh district court acquits 17 accused in 2023 Biranpur communal clash, giving them benefit of doubt after completion of trial, witnesses examination

Raipur: A district court in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara on Tuesday acquitted 17 accused in the 2023 Biranpur communal clash, giving them the benefit of doubt after completion of the trial and examination of witnesses.

The communal clash between the two communities broke out in April 2023 after some children of Biranpur village returning from school were allegedly beaten up by members of another community. (Representative photo)

Public prosecutor Shiv Gopal Srivas said the prosecution case weakened during the trial as independent witnesses did not support it. “In the court the independent witnesses turned hostile and the court on the grounds of benefit of doubt acquitted the accused,” Srivas said.

Manoj Namdev, one of the three defence lawyers in the case, said the court had examined the evidence placed on record before granting relief to the accused. He said the court had given them the benefit of doubt and acquitted them.

The order was passed after statements of 64 prosecution witnesses were recorded during the course of the trial.

The communal clash between the two communities broke out in April 2023 after some children from Biranpur village returning from school were allegedly beaten up by members of another community. Bhuneshwar Sahu and some others allegedly went to resolve the issue when stones were pelted and 22-year-old Sahu was stabbed with knives.

A day later, Rahim Mohammad (55) and his son Idul Mohammad (35), residents of the same village, were killed in the violence. Officials said the murder case of Rahim and Idul Mohammad was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in April 2024 and the trial in that case is currently underway in a CBI court in Raipur.

During the clash, Sub-Inspector Binuram Thakur was also injured and lost consciousness, according to officials.

Following the incident, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the then Congress government under chief minister Bhupesh Baghel over the communal flare-up and had fielded Sahu’s father, Ishwar Sahu, from the Saja seat in the 2023 Assembly polls against then state minister Ravindra Choubey. Sahu defeated Choubey in the polls.

Meanwhile, the Congress claimed that this was an attempt to polarise voters and create propaganda.

Police had registered the case at the Saja police station against a total of 173 people under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Initially, 12 accused were named in the case, and six additional accused were later included during the course of the investigation.

Following the trial, the court acquitted all 17 accused, holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt and extending them the benefit of doubt.

Those acquitted on Tuesday include Dakeshwar Sinha alias Hariom (28), Manish Verma (23), Samaru Netam (43), Pooran Patel (19), Rajkumar Nishad (19), Bhola Nishad (23), Doodhnath Sahu (27), Arun Rajak (18), Chandan Sahu (20), Homendra Netam (25), Takendra Sahu (22), Ram Nishad (19), Sanjay Kumar Sahu (25), Chintaram Sahu (68), Lokesh Sahu (23), Varun Sahu (18 years 3 months), and Rajesh Sahu (23).