UP govt withdrew 77 Muzaffarnagar riots cases 'without citing any reason', SC told

New Delhi: A report filed in Supreme Court last Tuesday read that 77 cases related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, that would give life term in jail for the accused, appears to be withdrawn by the Uttar Pradesh government without providing any further details.

The report on cases against MPs and MLAs by the appointed amicus curiae, Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria, then, recommended that these cases may be examined by the High Court. Apparently, the Supreme Court in its last hearing had proposed that cases against legislatures cannot be shut without the High Court permission. The bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana had remarked that no prosecution against a legislator, sitting or former, shall be withdrawn without the leave of the High Court.

Muzaffarnagar riot has altogether witnessed more than 60 dead and hundreds of injuries that led to 510 cases with 6,869 accused. Among which charge sheet was filed in 175 cases, final reports done in 165 cases and 170 cases were expunged. Amid were these 77 cases vanished by the government for many of which, as the report suggests, relate to offences of dacoity.

According to the report, without claiming any reason the Karnataka government has withdrawn 62 cases, Tamil Nadu has withdrawn four cases, Kerala has withdrawn 36 cases and Telangana has withdrawn 14 cases.