Muzaffarnagar Riots: UP Court Acquits 22 Accused in Murder, Arson and Looting Case
Muzaffarnagar court clears 22 men in 2013 riot murder and arson case
A court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has acquitted 22 people charged in a murder, arson and looting case arising from the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, more than a decade after the communal violence erupted.
On September 8, 2013, a mob is alleged to have stormed Mohammadpur Raisingh village, attacking homes, setting property on fire and killing a villager, according to the chargesheet filed by a special investigation team (SIT).
The initial FIR was lodged over the killing of Rahishuddin, and subsequent complaints detailed the alleged rampage that also included damage to a mosque and burning of a police constable’s motorcycle.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanishk Kumar delivered the verdict of acquittal, noting that the prosecution’s case lacked credible evidence to link the remaining accused to the violence.
The SIT had originally charged 26 people in the case, but four died during the long course of trial, leaving 22 on trial at the time of the judgment.
The government counsel said witnesses called by the prosecution failed to firmly place the accused at the scenes of the alleged offences, weakening the state’s case.
Those acquitted, all residents of Mohammadpur Raisingh village, include 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.
The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots were among the most intense episodes of communal violence in recent years in the state, leaving over 60 people dead and displacing tens of thousands of residents.
During these riots, for violence in Kawal Village in Muzaffarnagar, a Special Judge of the MP/MLA court awarded two years imprisonment to 11 people, including BJP MLA Vikram Saini, in 2022.