Bail in Muzaffarnagar riots cases challenged in HC

MUZAFFARNAGAR: SIT, probing the Muzaffarnagar riots, has filed affidavits in the Allahabad High Court in support of petitions by district authorities seeking cancellation of bail granted to accused in last year's violence by lower court.

District authorities have filed more than 45 petitions seeking cancellation of bail granted to riots accused, including three BJP MLAs Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana, Bhartendu Singh and other activists and community leaders here, district government counsel Dushyant Tyagi said.

According to SIT sources, its officials are filing affidavits in support of the petitions by the district administration for cancellations of bails.

More than 12 out of about 45 petitions have been filed and the remaining are in process in the high court, the sources said.

The authorities are in touch with government lawyers at the Allahabad High Court, Tyagi said.

More than 200 riots accused have been granted bail from the lower court, sources said.

Over 534 cases were registered against 6,423 people in which more than 245 were arrested 45 surrendered in connection with deadly riots in Muzaffarnagar and neighbouring areas which claimed over 60 lives.

Meanwhile, SIT has filed charge sheets in 32 cases against about 235 accused.