A court here on Monday acquitted Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait in a 20-year-old murder case for lack of evidence.
Additional District Sessions Judge Ashok Kumar acquitted Tikait, accused of killing farmer leader Chaudhary Jagbir Singh in 2003, saying that the prosecution has failed to prove its case.
According to defence counsel Anil Jindal, the court has found several lacunae in the case.
Chaudhary Jagbir Singh, who was Rashtriya Kisan Morcha president, was shot dead at Ahlawalpur village under the Bhaurakalan police station limits in Muzaffarnagar on September 6, 2003, said Assistant District Government Counsel Amit Tyagi.
On the basis of a complaint by deceased leader's son Yograj Singh, police had registered a case against three persons -- Naresh Tikait, Bittu and Praveen. Later, the investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID).
During investigation, the CB-CID had given a clean chit to Tikait, but the court summoned him in the case.
During pendency of the case, the two other accused, Bittu and Praveen, died. Only Tikait was facing the trial.