A court in Uttar Pradesh has acquitted 22 people in a case related to murder, arson and looting during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, citing insufficient evidence, according to media reports.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanishk Kumar delivered the verdict on Saturday, noting that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, The Times of India reported.
The case concerned violence in Mohammadpur Raisingh village on Sept. 8, 2013. According to the prosecution, Haneef, whose father was killed during the riots, alleged that rioters attacked homes, looted property, set houses on fire and damaged a mosque. A police constable’s motorcycle was also reportedly torched.
A special investigation team had initially filed a chargesheet against 26 people, but four accused died before the trial concluded.
The Muzaffarnagar riots erupted after inflammatory speeches by political leaders, including state minister Suresh Rana, former BJP MLA Sangeet Som and former MP Bharatendra Singh. At least 60 people were killed, thousands of Muslim families were displaced, and there were reports of sexual violence in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts.