A Central Bureau of Investigation court on Thursday acquitted senior vice president of Uttarakhand Congress, Suryakant Dhasmana, from the charges of being involved in the killing of a separate statehood activist in the Karanpur shooting case 18 years ago.
Pronouncing the verdict, third additional District Judge and special anti-corruption CBI Judge Pradip Pant said Dhasmana is being acquitted as no evidence has proved his involvement in the crime, said Dhasmana's counsel Razia Beg.
The court, however, found guilty four police constables deployed for Dhasmana's security under Indian Penal Code sections 304 (culpable homicide), 201 (Concealing evidences) and 308 (accidental injury which may lead to death) and awarded them seven-year imprisonment, she said.
A fine of Rs 15,000 has also been slapped on each of them, she added. The four convicts are -- Jitendra Kumar, Madan Singh, Yashvir Singh and Jaipal.
The Karanpur shooting case had occurred on October 3, 1994 when the separate statehood movement was at its peak. The statehood activists in the form of a mob had gheraoed the house of Dhasmana, who was then a Samajwadi Party leader.
The situation forced his security personnel to open fire on them leading to the death of an activist. Two others were also injured in the incident.