2012 communal riots: Court in UP's Ayodhya acquits all 14 accused

Ayodhya:  A local court in Faizabad has acquitted all 14 accused in a 2012 communal riots case due to lack of evidence. The court of Faizabad District Judge Sanjiv Faujdaar passed the order on Tuesday, district government counsel Ram Krishna Tiwari said. "All the witnesses in the case became hostile and the police were unsuccessful in presenting any proof against the accused," Tiwari told PTI. The court acquitted all the 14 accused, he said. Two persons were killed and several injured on October 24, 2012, in Faizabad during the riots that broke out after rumours that some idols of Goddess Durga were being attacked by unidentified persons during a procession.

During the riots, dozens of shops and houses were burnt and looted. The mob also torched police vehicles and attacked police personnel.

The Durga Puja procession was led by senior Samajwadi Party leader Manoj Jaiswal who was also the president of Ayodhya-Faizabad Durga Puja Committee. The Samajwadi Party was then in power in the state and Akhilesh Yadav was the chief minister.