Muzaffarnagar riots: 800 accused still absconding

Muzaffarnagar: A total of 800 accused found involved in riot cases here last year are still absconding, Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials said on Thursday.

The SIT probing the Muzaffarnagar riots had found the involvement of 1550 accused in different cases. While 750 accused have been arrested so far, 800 are still absconding, Additional SP, SIT, Manoj Jha said today. Court has initiated attachment proceedings against 400 absconding accused, he added. The SIT had completed its investigation in 370 out of 510 riot cases. Investigation in the 131 cases is pending as attachment proceedings have not been initiated against the accused, Jha said. The remaining nine cases including that of fake video uploading case involving BJP MLA Sangeet Som and journalist Rajesh Verma murder case, are under investigation, he added. 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. Meanwhile, a local court has rejected the bail plea of six persons accused of killing three locals in Lank village during the riots in the district in September last year. Additional District and Sessions Judge Jitender Kumar yesterday rejected the bail plea of six accused Satbir, Arun Kumar, Ravinder, Ramvir, Pradeep and Sanjiv, saying there was no case of bail as they were involved in a serious crime. Three persons identified as Tahir, Wadeed and Raheesa were shot dead allegedly by the accused and their bodies set on fire?during riots in Lank village in the district in September last. Over 60 people were killed and thousands left homeless during the riots in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in September last year.