A sessions court in Jammu and Kashmir has acquitted three people accused of involvement in terror activities for lack of evidence.
The court of the Additional Sessions Judge, a special judge designated under the NIA Act, ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wajid Ahmad Bhat, Masrat Bilal Bhuru and Rameez Ahmad Dar, all residents of Kulgam district, were acquitted on Monday (December 29). Judge Manjeet Rai directed that the accused be released forthwith if they were not required in any other case.
The three were arrested by police at a checkpost in the Batamaloo area of the city on October 10, 2022. The prosecution had alleged that they were found to have in their possession grenades and magazines with live rounds.
The court said it was settled that in a criminal trial, the prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and that suspicion, however strong, cannot take the place of proof.
