Muzaffarnagar riots: Court fixes September 9 for framing of charges against ten politicians

A special court in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday fixed September 9 for arguments on framing of charges against former Uttar Pradesh minister Saeeduzama and nine other politicians facing trial for making inflammatory speeches during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal riots. Nine others against whom charges are to be framed in the case include Saeeduzama’s son Salman Saeed, ex-BSP MP Kadir Rana, party’s former MLAs Noor Saleem Rana from Charthawal and Maulana Jamil from Miranpur.

Other accused are former city board members Asad Zama Ansari and Naushad Qureshi, traders Ahsan Qureshi, Sultan Mushir and Naushad.

The case against ten was filed for allegedly making hate speeches in Khalapar locality of the city on August 30, 2013, in defiance of prohibitory orders clamped following tension in Kawal village in the district.

They were booked for allegedly violating prohibitory orders and inciting communal tension by making inflammatory speeches.

Special Judge Upadhyay earlier fixed September 1 for framing charges in the case but the ten accused, who appeared in the court argued that they had been booked by police without any private complaint against them.

The defence counsel also argued that they had been booked in violation of the CrPC provisions and sought to make their points in the case, following which the court fixed September 9 for arguments on framing of charges.

The communal violence, which had broken out in September last year in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining towns, had claimed over 40 lives and rendered above 50,000 people homeless.