PALGHAR: The sole remaining accused in the 1991 Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram attack and dacoity case in Maharashtra's Palghar district has been acquitted by a local court.

The attack, carried out by a 150-strong mob armed with stones and sticks and shouting, took place on August 14 that year at Talasari here, leading to its manager Mahadeo Jairam Joshi sustaining grievous injuries as well as extensive damage to property, including an autorickshaw.

In his order of November 26, details of which were made available on Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge AV Chaudhari Inamdar acquitted Satva Ladkya Bhagat, who was charged under Indian Penal Code provisions for rioting, dacoity and robbery, causing grievous hurt, damage by fire, and other offences.

The original chargesheet was filed against 32 accused, all of whom were acquitted on January 7, 2003. The current case against Bhagat and three others were based on supplementary chargesheets. The proceedings against the other three accused abated due to their deaths.

The court said the prosecution could not produce reliable evidence directly linking Bhagat to the commission of the crime, adding that the main witness could not identify the persons involved in the stone-pelting and could not name any of the accused.

Injured witness Joshi and one eyewitness also could not identify members of the mob, the court said in its order.

The prosecution had "utterly failed" to establish the charges against the accused, Judge Inamdar said in his order.