A court in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday acquitted 37 people accused in a case linked to the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar, citing lack of evidence, news agency PTI reported.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Manjula Bhalotiya said the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
The case pertained to the killing of eight people in Kutba village during the violence. According to the prosecution, a complaint was filed by a man identified as Imran against 110 individuals.
In his complaint, Imran alleged that on September 8, 2013, a mob armed with sharp-edged weapons attacked homes belonging to members of the Muslim community in Kutba, set several houses ablaze and looted property.
The riots in Muzaffarnagar erupted in September 2013 following alleged inflammatory speeches by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including Suresh Rana, former legislator Sangeet Som and former Member of Parliament Bharatendra Singh.
At least 60 people were killed and thousands of Muslim families were displaced in the violence that spread across Muzaffarnagar and neighbouring Shamli district. Authorities also received multiple complaints of sexual assault during the unrest.