UP Court acquits five Muzaffarnagar riot accused

Muzaffarnagar: An Uttar Pradesh court has acquitted five 2013 Muzaffarnagar riot accused due to the paucity of evidence against them. Additional Sessions Judge Babu Ram acquitted accused Vinod, Naresh, Ashish, Sunder and Satyendra saying that the prosecution has failed to prove the case against them.

The case against the five was lodged by riot Victim Nanu, a resident of Bahawdi village under the Phugana police station in the district.

Naming the five accused in his complaint, Nanu had alleged that a mob of rioters, including the five, had barged into his house on November 8, 2013, and put it on fire after looting cash and other valuables from it.

The case was probed by the Special Investigation Team of the Uttar Pradesh Police, which had charge-sheeted them on June 6 2014, but the court acquitted them for the lack of evidence against them.

Over 60 people were killed and around 40,000 people were displaced during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.