Muzaffarnagar riots: Court acquits 6 accused of promoting religious enmity

A local court has acquitted six people accused of promoting religious enmity and committing other offences during the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar district due to insufficient evidence.

Umesh, Devendra, Pintu, Lalut Kumar, Vinod and Arvind were booked by the special investigation team (SIT) probing the riots cases under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race), 147 (rioting), 392 (robbery), and 436 (mischief by fire) of the IPC.

Additional District Sessions Judge Nishant Dev acquitted the six accused due to lack of evidence, defence counsel Chandra Vir Singh said.

The SIT had filed a chargesheet in the court on the basis of a complaint by Kasimuddin, a riot victim, who alleged that rioters had entered his home in Simbhalka village under Shamli Kotwali in the district on September 8, 2013 and set it on fire after looting all the valuables.

Over 60 people died in the communal clashes and 40,000 were displaced.