Muzaffarnagar Riots: In 'confidential' order, Yogi Adityanath govt withdraws 20 more cases

The Yogi Adityanath government has issued fresh orders to withdraw 20 more cases in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. News Nation has learnt that the Uttar Pradesh government had issued the orders in very confidential manner four days ago. Instead of the usual process of posting such orders on the government portal and issuing press releases, the Yogi government straight away sent the order to the district officials respectively. So far, the Uttar Pradesh government has withdrawn 76 cases related to Muzaffarnagar riots. The Yogi government has already kickstarted the process of withdrawing cases filed against senior BJP leaders and ministers including Sanjeev Balyan, Suresh Rana, Sangeet Som and Umesh Malik.

Originally, there was a demand to withdraw 114 cases. Last year also, Balyan had request the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to withdraw the case. He had said that due to political vendetta, the then Samajwadi party-ruled government had filed fake cases against him and other BJP leaders. Court proceedings in five cases has concluded. Apart from these, except 12 pending cases, the Yogi government has withdrawn cases in all such instances.

Communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in August and September 2013 had claimed 60 lives and displaced over 40,000 people. The state government had formed an SIT to probe the riot cases. The SIT has filed chargesheets in 175 cases. Police had registered cases against 6,869 people and arrested 1,480 people in connection with the riots. According to the SIT, 418 accused have been acquitted in 54 cases due to lack of evidence.