TADA court frees 24

May 8: Twenty-four detenus were acquitted on benefit of doubt by judge S M Deshmukh of the designated TADA court yesterday.

Defence counsel Majeed Memon told Express Newsline that the criminal justice system of the country, which includes TADA, may be harsh at the inception and it may be draconian and inhuman with regard to grant of bail to the accused. But when it comes to trial, strict standards of proof are an inescapable obligation of the prosecution. Memon added that unless the court is fully satisfied with regard to the commission of offence by the accused, it cannot inflict punishment on sentimental or emotional consideration. In this case, he said, the benefit of doubt had rightly gone to the accused as the prosecution could not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The 24 accused were arrested by the police in connection with rioting and murder which took place near Byculla on January 10, 1993. They were accused of hurling burning projectiles at each other in separate instances of rioting, which resulted in the death of two passers-by.