A Mumbai court has cleared Asif Ali Shaikh of all charges related to the 1993 communal riots, citing insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution. This case has lingered in the judicial system for nearly 33 years.

The additional sessions judge M B Oza, in a verdict announced on December 5, noted the failure of the prosecution to demonstrate Shaikh's active involvement in the alleged riots, which erupted post the Babri Masjid demolition.

Previously, 14 other individuals were acquitted between 2003 and 2023 for lack of evidence, highlighting systemic challenges in proving culpability in this decades-old case.

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