SC asks Centre and UP Govt. to file response by Sep 16

A PIL was filed seeking the court's direction to Centre and UP government to find out reasons behind the communal clashes

The Supreme Court, which today heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar, issued notices to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh Government.

The apex court, which yesterday agreed to give an urgent hearing to the PIL, directed the Centre and Uttar Pradesh Government to file their responses by September 16.

The PIL was filed seeking the 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, curfew has been relaxed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Muzaffarnagar city today. The concerned authorities say the situation in the curfew-hit city and far-flung areas is fast returning to normal.

It is the third consecutive day of curfew relaxation, which is passing off peacefully. People in large number have come out from their houses. Besides making essential purchases for their families, they are also visiting friends and relatives.

The administration is keeping a strict vigil on every aspect of the violence hit areas including Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat and Meerut. Heavy deployment of army and paramilitary forces has been ensured to avert any untoward situation in the deep rural areas.

Scores of senior officials, including Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arun Kumar and others, are constantly camping in trouble-hit Muzaffarnagar.

The Uttar Pradesh Government has 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 kilometers from Kawal, clashed with members of another community.