(Dr. Savita Poonam, Upendra Yadav – BBC India / VNFA / Vishwavani Samachar)

Varanasi: The Court of ADJ-13 in Varanasi has acquitted Sanjay Yadav alias Gulle—a resident of the Shivpur police station area—in a long-standing case filed under the Gangster Act. The court ordered the honorable release of the accused. During the trial, the prosecution (the State) completely failed to prove its case despite presenting four witnesses. Conversely, the defense—represented by Senior Advocate Rakesh Kumar Gupta and Advocate Afsar Jahan alias Apsara—presented four witnesses whose testimonies provided strong arguments in favor of the accused.

According to Dr. Savita Poonam, the special correspondent for *Veer Arjun* in Varanasi, this case had been pending since the year 2000.

In this regard, Senior Advocate Rakesh Kumar Gupta informed our special correspondent that the Gangster Act charges were primarily based on Case No. 61 of 2001 and Case No. 155 of 2000 involving Sanjay Yadav alias Gulle; a total of eight cases were cited as grounds for the invocation of the Act.

The advocates stated that justice has been served after a long legal battle. The court acknowledged that Sanjay Yadav was innocent. Throughout the prolonged hearings before the ADJ-13 court, the prosecution failed to substantiate the charges through its witnesses. The defense demonstrated through its witnesses that the allegations against the accused were baseless. After considering all aspects, the court delivered the verdict acquitting the accused.

Sanjay Yadav alias Gulle is a resident of the Shivpur police station area, living near the 'Pancho Pandva' temple in Shivpur. This verdict has brought joy to Sanjay's family members and supporters.  They had waited a long time for justice. Describing this victory as a "win in the legal battle," Advocate Rakesh Kumar Gupta stated that winning the case—which had been ongoing since 2001—was not easy, but success was achieved through the strength of evidence and witnesses.

Senior Advocate Rakesh Kumar Gupta believes that Advocate Afsar Jahan—also known as Afsara—succeeded in securing the accused's acquittal through her hard work and by relying on established legal principles; this is a victory for justice.