Muzaffarnagar riots: Probe panel seeks extension of 2 months

MUZAFFARNAGAR: With its tenure ending today, the one-man inquiry commission set up to probe the Muzaffarnagar riots has sought an extension of two more months.

The Commission of retired judge of Allahabad High Court Vishnu Sahai, constituted on September 9, 2013, had been given extension several times by the Uttar Pradesh government and its tenure ends today.

Secretary of the Commission, Daleep Kumar said today that it has sought extension of two months upto October 8 as it is busy in completing the probe report which is to be submitted. But the panel has not received any notification about extension of its tenure from the state government yet, he said.

The Commission has recorded statements of more than 476 persons including 100 officials in connection with the riots.

The state government had asked the commission to probe the violence starting from Kawal incident on August 27, 2013 and submit its reports in two months but later the deadline was extended.

The Commission was also asked to look into administrative lapses, if any, in controlling the violence in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts which left over 60 people dead and thousands displaced. PTI