BJP leaders, other accused in Muzaffarnagar riots surrender before UP court

Muzaffarnagar, UP: Days after non-bailable warrants were issued against them for failing to appear in court, a number of BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh minister Kapil Dev Agrawal, turned themselves in before a special court here on Tuesday in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots case.

The MP-MLA court's Special Judge Devendra Faujdar recalled the warrants against the accused that were issued on October 21 and set November 16 for charge framing.

Yati Narsinghanand, the controversial head priest of Dasna Devi temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, did not appear in court and a non-bailable warrant was again issued against him, PTI reported.

The court asked all the accused to appear before it on the next date.

"Twenty people including Uttar Pradesh minister Kapil Dev Agrawal, former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi, former Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Rana, former BJP MP Bhartendu Singh, former BJP MLAs Umesh Malik and Ashok Kansal, and Dasna temple priest Yati Narsighanand are facing trial in the case," Prosecution Officer Niraj Singh told PTI.

The accused have been charged under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

According to the prosecution, the accused took part in a panchayat meeting in Naglamador village here, incited violence and violated prohibitory orders through their speeches in August 2013.

More than 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced in the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of Uttar Pradesh.