Mumbai riots: Sena MLA among six acquitted

The special riots court on Friday acquitted six persons charged of instigating violence during the 1992-93 Mumbai riots, including Shiv Sena legislator Gajanand Kirtikar and Corporator Ravindra Waikar, for lack of evidence.

Magistrate R C Bapat Sarkar acquitted them for lack of evidence and the investigating officer's statement failed to prove the prosecution's case.

On December 7, 1992, a complaint had been lodged against 20 persons at suburban Jogeshwari police station in connection with two different cases for the said offences.

The accused apart from Kirtikar and Waikar, who is also the current chief of BMC standing committee, were Nandkumar Kale, Raghunath Kadam, Shridhar Khade and Laltaprasad Singh.

The six were booked under section 39 of Bombay Police Act (unlawful assembly), various sections of the Criminal Procedure Code for instigating violence and 153 (a) of the Indian Penal Code for the conspiracy.