New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today acquitted alleged underworld don Babloo Srivastava, and his close aide Nitin Gunwant Shah, a Mumbai-based businessman, in the Lalit Suneja murder case.

Coming a day after the announcement of UP Assembly polls, the judgement came at a crucial time, paving the way for Babloo to jump in the fray. Babloo has of late flaunted his political ambitions.

Reversing the trial court judgement, a Division Bench of Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin acquitted Babloo and Shah saying that "there is nothing on record to establish their link in the murder case." A Delhi Court had sentenced Babloo and Shah to life imprisonment in July last year for killing Suneja, a Delhi-based businessman, in 1992.

Terming the trial court judgement as "erroneous", the Bench said the trial judge passed the order on 'assumptions' that Babloo and Shah had killed Suneja.

The court also rejected the testimony of prosecution witness Hanuman Dan, saying, "the testimony of Dan can not be relied upon.

He has no knowledge about the meeting held between Babloo and Suneja." The court also ordered for Babloo's release unless he had a case pending against him.

UNI