UP court acquits 22 in 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots murder, arson case

A court here has acquitted 22 people in connection with a murder, loot and arson case linked to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, citing lack of evidence.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanishk Kumar acquitted the accused on Saturday, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, government counsel Narendra Sharma said.

He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet against 26 people in the case related to incidents reported from Mohammadpur Raisingh village on September 8, 2013.

During the pendency of the trial, four of the accused died, leaving 22 to face the proceedings.

According to the prosecution, a complaint was lodged by one Haneef, alleging that hundreds of rioters attacked houses in the village, looted property and later set homes on fire.

It was alleged that the complainant's father, Rahishuddin, was beaten to death during the attack.

The rioters were also accused of damaging a mosque and setting ablaze a motorcycle belonging to a police constable.

The acquitted accused are Anil, Subhash, Sanjeev, Karan, Sher Singh, Rishipal, Hansarpal, Pramod, Vikki, Badal, Madan, Jainarain, Brijvir, Vinod, Kala, Parveen, Jagpal, Prempal, Pappu, Nitu, Bhura and Harender Singh, all residents of Mohammadpur Raisingh village.

More than 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced during the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013.