Muzaffarnagar calm, SC to hear PIL for CBI probe into violence

The Supreme Court will today hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district.

An apex court bench headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi yesterday agreed to give an urgent hearing to the PIL, posting the hearing for today.

The PIL was filed seeking court's direction to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh Government to find out the reason behind the communal clashes in the state and to take immediate steps to control the violence.

The PIL also sought that the affected persons should be properly rehabilitated and the culprits behind the incident must be brought to book.

Meanwhile, strict vigil and heavy patrolling continues in all the troubled areas of Uttar Pradesh. The situation in and around the districts of Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat and Meerut, is tense but under control. Life is limping back to normalcy, with no fresh violence reported yesterday.

On a preventive measure, the administration has extended the closure of school, colleges in Muzaffarnagar and other troubled areas till September 14.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar, who has been closely monitoring the situation, yesterday said that peace prevailed in the district when the curfew was relaxed.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has also constituted a one-member judicial commission to probe Muzaffarnagar violence, which claimed at least 40 lives.

The commission, which would mainly look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence, would submit its report to the government within two months.

Violence broke out in the Kawal area of Muzaffarnagar on Saturday when members of a community returning from a panchayat meeting in Naglabadhod, three kilometres from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.