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A Special Court has issued notice on framing of charges against former Uttar Pradesh Minister Saeeduzzaman and 9 other politicians who face charges of making inflammatory speeches (hate speech) during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal riots.

The Special Judge Gopal Upadhyaye has fixed Sep 9 for framing charges against the ten accused.

The case was filed against the 10 accused for allegedly making hate speeches in Khalapar locality of the city on Aug 30, 2013, in defiance of prohibitory orders issued following tension in the Kawal village in the district. Later, the accused persons were booked for allegedly violating these prohibitory orders and inciting communal tension by making inflammatory speeches.

Special Judge Upadhyay had earlier fixed Sep 1 for framing charges in the case but the ten accused, who appeared in the court argued that they had been booked by police without any private complaint against them.

During the course of hearing, the defense counsel submitted that the allegations put up are in violation of provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure (CrPC), and that he needed to establish his stand in the case. Granting time to the defense counsel to prepare his arguments, the court fixed Sep 9 for arguments on framing of charges.

Nine others against whom charges are to be framed in the case include Saeeduzama’s son Salman Saeed, ex-BSP MP Kadir Rana, party’s former MLAs Noor Saleem Rana from Charthawal and Maulana Jamil from Miranpur. Other accused are former City Board members Asad Zama Ansari and Naushad Qureshi, traders Ahsan Qureshi, Sultan Mushir and Naushad.

The state government had formed an Special Investigation Team (SIT) subsequently, to probe the riot cases. The SIT has filed charge sheets in 175 cases.

The communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in August and September 2013 had claimed 60 lives and displaced over 40,000 people. According to a letter sent to Sr. Adv. Vijay Hansaria (Amicus Curiae in a case pertaining to Muzzafarnagar riots before the Supreme Court) by the UP state government counsel, 510 cases relating to the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 were registered in five districts of the Meerut zone against 6,869 accused. Of this, charge-sheets were filed in 175 cases, final reports were submitted in 165 cases, and 170 cases were “expunged". Further, 77 cases relating to the Muzaffarnagar communal riots were withdrawn by the UP government without assigning any reasons

In January 2014, the Akhilesh Yadav-led UP government had decided to withdraw the criminal cases related to the Muzaffarnagar riots against 16 Muslim leaders, including Bahujan Samaj Party MP Qader Rana.