India, Feb. 17 -- A district court in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara on Tuesday acquitted 17 accused in the 2023 Biranpur communal clash, giving them the benefit of doubt after completion of the trial and examination of witnesses.

Public prosecutor Shiv Gopal Srivas said the prosecution case weakened during the trial as independent witnesses did not support it. "In the court the independent witnesses turned hostile and the court on the grounds of benefit of doubt acquitted the accused," Srivas said.

Manoj Namdev, one of the three defence lawyers in the case, said the court had examined the evidence placed on record before granting relief to the accused. He said the court had given them the benefit of doubt and acquitted them.

The order was pa...