Dehradun, Aug 19: In a significant move, 20 regional parties and social organisations in Uttaranchal today joined hands to form an umbrella outfit -- 'Uttarakhand Sanyukt Sangharsh Morcha' -- demanding resignation of state high court judge Justice M M Ghildyal for acquitting former Muzaffarnagar DM A K Singh in the 1994 Rampur-Tiraha case. Chief convenor of the morcha Kamala Pant told reporters here that they were also demanding a probe by high court chief Justice S H Kapadia or by Supreme Court into the alleged "corruption" being perpetrated by another high court judge P C Verma.

The other demands of the new outfit include an apology from BJP whose leader Rajnath Singh, the then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, did not give permission for prosecution of Singh during his tenure.

The formation of the new morcha comes in the wake of the division bench of Uttaranchal High Court comprising Justice Verma and Justice Ghildiyal on July 22 aquitting Singh who had been facing charges of ordering firing on Uttarakhand agitationistis at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar killing.

Pant, who is also heading 'Uttarakhand Mahila Manch', asked the state government to hire best advocates for contesting the review petition which has been filed in the high court at Nainital against Singh's acquittal.
The morcha, she said, was a conglomerate of political parties like Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), CPI-ML, Uttarakhand Mahila Morcha among other parties.

Bureau Report