Muzaffarnagar riots: BJP MLA appear in court in violence case

BJP MLA Vikram Saini and others have appeared in a court in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district on Thursday in connection with violence during the Muzaffarnagar riots.

Special court judge Ram Singh has fixed March 13 for recording statement of the witnesses from the prosecution side.

Khatauli MLA Saini and 27 others are facing an attempt-to-murder case for their alleged role in violence at Kawal village in 2013.

The violence took place when a crowd, who were returning after cremation of two youths, turned violent, and damaged properties and set houses on fire at the village.

The kiling of the two youths and that of another in a separate incident were said to be the trigger behind the communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in August and September 2013, which claimed 60 lives and displaced over 40,000 people.

Saini was also booked under the National Security Act.