Jaipur, May 1 (IANS) Independent candidate from the Deoli-Uniara assembly by-election in Rajasthan, Naresh Meena, was acquitted on Thursday by the Jaipur Metropolitan court in a 20-year-old case related to obstruction of government work. The court cited a lack of evidence and procedural lapses as reasons for the acquittal.

Presiding Judge Khushboo Parihar noted that the prosecution failed to present any independent witnesses, and the injured constable who lodged the original complaint did not appear in court to testify.

The case dates back to August 5, 2004, when Meena and his associates were accused of attempting to forcibly reach the stage during a Ghoomar cultural event held at a university campus in Jaipur.

According to the prosecution, around 1 p.m., Constable Mansingh and other police personnel were posted at the women’s gate when Meena, along with Man Singh Meena and others, allegedly tried to break through the barricade.

The group reportedly resisted police efforts and incited a crowd, resulting in a stone being thrown from the gathering. A constable sustained an eye injury due to the incident, and a case was subsequently registered at Gandhi Nagar Police Station under charges of obstruction of duty and incitement of violence.

However, during the trial, Meena’s lawyer, Advocate Abdul Wahid Naqvi, argued that the prosecution relied solely on testimonies from police personnel, without presenting any neutral or independent witnesses, despite the event being held in a public, crowded setting.

He further highlighted key procedural deficiencies, including the failure to produce a site map, the absence of a medical examination report for the injured constable, and the lack of entries in the police station diary — all of which are required under Supreme Court guidelines.

The judge, observing these omissions and the absence of the complainant’s testimony, concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges beyond reasonable doubt. As a result, Naresh Meena was acquitted.

Meena, currently lodged in Tonk Central Jail in connection with other criminal cases — including an alleged assault on an SDM during the by-election campaign — was brought to Jaipur under police escort for the hearing.

–IANS

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