Police arrests 13 riot accused in Muzaffarnagar

Muzaffarnagar, April 17: Atleast 13 people were arrested for their role in the last year's riots here, after the Supreme Court directed the state to expedite the process of bringing the accused to justice, police said today.

Two murder accused, four accused of stoning, and seven others were arrested yesterday from Bahawdi, Basikala, Shahpur and Kotwali areas of the district, they said.

A drive has been launched to arrest the riot accused after the direction of the apex court to expedite the process. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which is probing the riot cases, nearly 800 hundred people were found to be involved in rioting, gangrape, and murder, and many of them are still absconding.

Of the 50 accused in Kutba killing case, only three have been arrested, police said, adding, eight persons including a woman were killed and several others injured by rioters in the village. 62 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced in communal clashes that took place in September in Muzaffarnagar and its adjoining areas.

PTI