11 Muzaffarnagar riots accused acquitted for lack of evidence

AGRA: Citing lack of evidence and witnesses turning hostile, a court in Muzaffarnagar acquitted 11 accused in a case of looting and arson during the 2013 riots that left 62 dead and over 50,000 homeless.

These 11 people, all residents of Lisarh village in Shamli, were charged with looting and setting fire to the house of one Kamruddin, who fled with his family and later took shelter in a refugee camp, said defence lawyer Yogendra Singh.

In his police complaint on Sept 9, 2013, Kamruddin alleged: "On Sept 8, 2013, a group of people entered my house and looted gold jewellery and Rs 1.8 lakh in cash, and set my house on fire. My family and I somehow managed to escape and took refuge at a relative's house in Shamli."

After Kamruddin filed the complaint at Phugana police station, the SIT filed a chargesheet under multiple sections, including IPC section 436 (mischief by fire with intent to destroy a house) against 11 people.

District govt counsel Rajeev Sharma said on Tuesday, "The court order was passed recently. We will study the order and then decide our course of action."

Several riot-related cases have since resulted in acquittals for lack of evidence and witnesses turning hostile. The total number of pending trials remains unclear due to proceedings in various courts across Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts.

In April this year, a court in Muzaffarnagar acquitted 16 men accused of murder during the 2013 communal riots citing lack of evidence. Again, in Sept 2024, another court acquitted 10 murder accused saying there was insufficient evidence.