Mangaluru court acquits 19 in Attavar assault case

A court in Mangaluru has acquitted all 19 people accused of assaulting a man named Shakir Ali in 2015. This decision was made on March 15, after the judge found serious issues with the evidence presented by the prosecution. Shakir Ali, a 30-year-old sales manager, was attacked after being seen with a female colleague from a different community. The assault involved stripping him and tying him to a pole. The judge, H.S. Mallikarjuna Swamy, highlighted many contradictions and gaps in the prosecution's case. The judge noted that there was a lack of proof that the accused knew each other or were part of a Hindu organization. Furthermore, there was no clear motive or evidence of a conspiracy to harm Ali. The inconsistencies in witness testimonies, especially regarding a loan request from the female colleague, raised doubts about the case's credibility. The prosecution also failed to include key witnesses in the investigation and to present reliable evidence linking the accused to the crime. Issues with medical reports and the admissibility of video footage further complicated the prosecution's arguments. In the judge's detailed ruling, it was clear that the evidence did not meet the legal standard required for a conviction. As a result, the court found the case insufficient to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.