A special CBI court in Panchkula acquitted 56 accused in the 2016 Jat quota violence case. (Representative image)Noting that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, a special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday acquitted all 56 accused in a case of arson and vandalism at the Rohtak residence of former Haryana finance minister Capt Abhimanyu Singh during the 2016 Jat reservation agitation.Special CBI Judge Rajeev Goyal acquitted Mohit and the other accused in the case.The court is yet to release a copy of detailed judgment.According to the police FIR, a mob approached the minister’s residence from the Delhi Bypass side and attacked his property. An FIR was registered in 2016 based on the statement of Abhimanyu’s nephew Rohit.The Haryana Police initially conducted an investigation and booked 50 people in the case. Later, the Haryana government transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing “seriousness and sensitivity of the matter.Based on its probe, the CBI booked 64 people, including four juveniles, in the case. The juveniles were tried before the Juvenile Justice Board in Rohtak, and they were acquitted.After completing the probe, the agency filed a chargesheet against the persons involved.Story continues below this adIn its chargesheet, the CBI alleged that a crowd armed with weapons and petrol bombs forcibly entered the premises, set vehicles on fire and carried out large-scale vandalism and looting. It was further claimed that petrol bombs were thrown inside the house with the intent to harm those present, leading to a blaze that gutted the property and caused losses worth crores of rupees.During the course of the trial of another 60 accused before the CBI court in Panchkula, three of the accused, Vijender, Pardeep Hooda, and Bhagwan Singh, died, and the court abated proceedings against them. While one accused, Dharminder, was declared a proclaimed offender in May 2024, leaving 56 to face proceedings.The court examined 127 witnesses, including four judicial officers, who had recorded statements under Section 164 of the CrPC. Senior officials, including the then Rohtak Deputy Commissioner DK Behera, the then Superintendent of Police, and a CBI Superintendent of Police, also deposed before the Court.The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier directed that the trial be conducted on a weekly basis to expedite proceedings and had set a timeline for its completion, which was subsequently extended.Story continues below this adDuring the trial, the defence counsel for more than 40 accused in the case, Satish Kadyan, argued, “The accused have been falsely implicated in the case, and the evidence collected by the CBI does not prove the allegations against them.” Also, the prosecution witnesses in the case turned hostile.After prolonged hearings, the CBI court verbally held that the prosecution failed to present sufficient and reliable evidence to substantiate the allegations and acquitted all the accused.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd