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Muzaffarnagar riots: 11 accused acquitted due to insufficient evidence
The verdict, delivered by Judge Neha Garg on May 6, marks another chapter in the ongoing legal proceedings in one of Uttar Pradesh’s deadliest communal clashes, which reportedly claimed over 60 lives and displaced thousands.
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A fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar has acquitted 11 accused in a case linked to the 2013 riots, citing a lack of evidence to substantiate the charges, additional district government counsel (ADGC) Narendra Sharma said on Tuesday.
The verdict, delivered by Judge Neha Garg on May 6, marks another chapter in the ongoing legal proceedings in one of Uttar Pradesh’s deadliest communal clashes, which reportedly claimed over 60 lives and displaced thousands.
Those acquitted -- Subhash, Papan, Manvir, Vinod, Pramod, Narender, Ram Kishan, Ramkumar, Mohit, Vijay, and Rajender -- were charged under sections 395 (dacoity) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house) of the Indian Penal Code. The charges stemmed from a complaint filed by Umerdeen, a resident of Lisadh village within Phugana police station limits in Muzaffarnagar.
Umerdeen alleged that on September 8, 2013, a mob stormed his home during the height of the communal violence, looted cash and jewellery worth lakhs of rupees, and set his house ablaze. Fearing for their lives, Umerdeen and his family fled Lisadh and sought refuge in Jhinjhana town, Shamli district.
ADGC Sharma stated that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to conduct a probe had filed a chargesheet against 11 accused. However, during the trial, the prosecution failed to present compelling evidence to prove the allegations, leading to the acquittal.
“The court found that the evidence was insufficient to establish the charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” Sharma said.
The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, triggered by communal tensions in August and September, erupted in Muzaffarnagar and neighbouring areas of western U.P. The violence, primarily between Hindu and Muslim communities, led to widespread destruction of property, loss of lives, and mass displacement. Thousands of families, like Umerdeen’s, were forced to abandon their homes, with many relocating to relief camps or other towns. The SIT was tasked with investigating the numerous cases of murder, arson, and loot, and filing chargesheets.
The recent acquittal is not the first in the legal aftermath of the riots. On April 22, 2025, another fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar had acquitted 16 individuals in a separate case due to insufficient evidence.
The repeated acquittals have raised questions about the challenges of prosecuting communal violence, including delayed investigations, witness hostility, and the difficulty of gathering conclusive evidence in the chaos of such incidents.
A total of 510 cases were registered in connection with the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, involving 6,869 accused across five districts in the Meerut zone.
Some of the key accused who have been acquitted include Sangeet Som (former MLA), Umesh Malik (former MLA), Kapil Dev Agarwal (MLA), Suresh Rana (former MLA).
