UP Govt mulls withdrawal of case against Muslim leaders

MUZAFFARNAGAR: The Uttar Pradesh Government is considering to withdraw a case of inciting violence through inflammatory speeches filed against Muslim leaders, including BSP MP Kadir Rana during Muzaffarnagar riots.

According to official sources, the Law department of the government has asked the district authorities to send a report on withdrawal of the case filed against the leaders for allegedly inciting violence by making inflammatory speeches in a panchayat meeting at Khala Par here on August 31, 2013.

The case was filed against BSP MP Kadir Rana, MLAs Noor Saleem and Maulana Jameel Ahmad, former Congress minister Saeed-uz-Zaman and his son Salman saeed, community leaders Asad Zama, Naushad Qureshi, trader Ahsan, advocate Sultan Mashir and others.

Arrest warrants were also issued against them in the case by a local court. Kadir Rana and other accused except Saeed-uz-Zaman and three others, are on bail. The SIT is investigating into the case, but no charge sheet has been filed so far.

On August 30, the accused Muslim leaders had called a meeting at Khala Par to protest against the August 27 killing of a Muslim youth, Shahnawaz, where they had made a speech allegedly threatening in tone and tenor.