New Delhi: On Wednesday, a Delhi court announced its verdict declaring gangster Neeraj Bawana of all charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The court concluded that the prosecution failed to establish a case against Bawana beyond any doubt. In 2015, the Delhi Police had arrested Neeraj Bawana. Charged him under the act along with several associates.
Presiding over the case, Special Judge Geetanjli Goel not acquitted Bawana. Also extended this verdict to include his uncle, former MLA Rambeer Shokeen, his brother Pankaj Sherawat, and two other accomplices. All of them were facing charges under the act. However, the court did find Shokeen guilty of noncompliance with a proclamation under Section 174 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), leading to a conviction.
The sequence of arrests that led to this trial began when the Special Cell of Delhi Police apprehended Bawana in April 2015. Subsequently, his uncle Shokeen was arrested in November 2016. Prior to this acquittal in September 2016, Bawana had been found guilty in a case involving an armed confrontation with law enforcement. Another court in the city had sentenced him to seven years in prison for that crime.
The attention surrounding this verdict is due to Bawana’s reputation and the high-profile nature of the case. The outcome highlights the significance of the principle that assumes every accused individual is innocent until proven guilty beyond a doubt.