A trial court acquitted 16 policemen accused in the Hashimpura massacre case - the killing of 42 Muslim men in Meerut - on Saturday, saying the evidence against them was insufficient. But the survivors and their lawyer say the investigation was shoddy. The case dates back to 1987, when personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary or the PAC picked up men from the Hashimpura locality during communal riots in the city and allegedly shot them dead.
