Court acquits two accused of robbery during 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, says prosecution failed to find them guilty

Muzaffarnagar: A court acquitted two people accused of robbery during the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar district, saying the prosecution failed to prove they were guilty. Additional District Sessions Judge Punam Rajput on Tuesday acquitted Vinod and Jitendra due to lack of evidence. Rajput said the prosecution could not prove their guilt. [caption id=“attachment_2477320” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] Hashim, a riot victim, had filed a police complaint against several people, alleging they robbed his house at Phugana village during the riots on 8 September, 2013, the prosecution said. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the riots cases had filed a chargesheet against the two people under section 395 of the IPC (punishment for dacoity). With this, 43 cases, including five of gangrape, have been decided so far and 358 people were acquitted, according to the prosecution. Seven people were convicted in one case in connection with the killing of two youths — Gaurav and Sachin — in Kawal village. Police had registered 510 cases and arrested 1,480 people in connection with the riots. After investigation, the SIT filed charge sheets in 175 cases. In another case related to the riots, a court fixed the hearing for framing of charges against five people accused of killing a youth in Kawal village for 26 August. The stabbing to death of Shahnawaz on 27 August by six people, and the killing of Gaurav and Sachin, had triggered the riots in 2013, according to police. Five of the accused in Shahnawaz killing case appeared in the court on Tuesday. The sixth accused is still on the run. Over 60 people died in the communal clashes and 40,000 were displaced.