SC dismisses HC decision on Aligarh riots

New Delhi, Oct 18: The Supreme Court has quashed the order of Allahabad High Court revoking the suspension of two senior police officers by the Uttar Pradesh government for having not been able to control communal riots in Aligarh in April 2006.

A Bench comprising Justices H K Sema and P K Balasubramanyan on Monday, directed the high court to decide on merit the petition of the two police officers within three months.

The State government had placed under suspension the then Additional Superintendent of Police Aligarh, S K Verma and the area Deputy Superintendent of Police, Narendra Pratap Singh on the charges of dereliction of duty. The order was challenged in the high court by the two police officers and their suspension was stayed.

The State government came in appeal to the Supreme Court against the stay order.

Communal riots had broken out in Aligarh on April 5 and 6, this year in which several people were killed and curfew had to be imposed to bring the situation under control.

UNI