Rajasthan RTI activist acquitted in 19-year-old case

Nikhil Dey, an RTI activist associated with NGO Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, and three others have been acquitted in a 19-year-old case by a court in Ajmer district of Rajasthan.

The four were sentenced to four months in jail by a Kishangarh court in June in a case of trespass and causing simple hurt that pertained to a dispute with Pyare Lal Tak, the then sarpanch of Harmada.

But after the four appealed against their conviction in the court of the Additional District Judge in Kishangarh, the complainants approached them, offering to withdraw the case.

"On July 12, almost one month after their conviction by a magistrate court on charges of criminal trespass and causing simple hurt in the 19-year-old RTI-related Harmara (in Ajmer district) case, social activist Nikhil Dey, Naurti Bai, Ram Karan and Chotu Lal have been acquitted through an order of the ADJ court in Kishangarh after both the parties arrived at a compromise," Indresh Kumar, advocate for Nikhil Dey, told IANS.

"The complainants stated that they wanted to compound the case to put an end to a continual and unnecessary dispute. The formal application, signed by the complainants was placed in the ADJ court, requesting the withdrawal and the 'compounding' under Section 320 of the CRPC (deemed acquittal) of the case," a press statement issue by the four said.

The application stated that since no dispute or issue existed any longer, the two affected persons, Omprakash and Manisha (brother and niece of the erstwhile sarpanch), would withdraw the case to conclude the matter.

"Accordingly, an order was passed acquitting the accused based on the signed agreement. The court passed orders on July 12, 2017," the statement said.

--IANS

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