Muzaffarnagar riots' inquiry panel records fresh statements

MUZAFFARNAGAR (UP): The one-man inquiry commission constituted by Uttar Pradesh government to probe the Muzaffarnagar riots has recorded statements of the family members of two of the three deceased whose death had triggered tension in the area.

Saleem, father of the deceased Shanawaz, yesterday told the commission that his son was stabbed to death in Kawal on August 27 last year.

He told the commission that SIT has not taken any action on his son's murder case even after naming the accused.

Tension had prevailed in the area from August 27 to September 9 last year, after Shahnawaz, Gaurav and Sachin were killed in Kawal.

In the case of Sachin and Gaurav's murder, however, the SIT has already prepared chargesheet against five accused, he said.

The commission also recorded statements of Ravinder Singh, father of deceased Gaurav, SIT inspector Sampurnand Tiwari and SDM JP Gupta yesterday.

Constituted by the UP government and led by a retired judge of Allahabad High Court, Justice Vishnu Sahai, the commission completed the recording of statements of 380 riot- victims and officials yesterday.

The government has asked the commission to probe and report about the causes that triggered the riots.

It has also sought details about the actions taken by the state government officers at the time of the riots and name those who were responsible for it.

The commission was constituted on September 9 to probe the Muzaffarnagar violence starting from Kawal incident on August 27 till September 9.

Over 60 persons were killed and more than 40,000 displaced in communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in September last year.