Muzaffarnagar riots: Charges framed against 6 accused

Muzaffarnagar: Charges have been framed against six accused by the district court at Muzaffarnagar in connection with the killing of a villager during the communal clashes in 2013.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Jitender Kumar has framed charges under Sections 302 (murder), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon) and 149 and 153a (promoting enmity between different groups and carrying out acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of IPC against the accused, identified as Karan Bhgoda, Bablu, Bittu, Niraj, Ashok and Amit here yesterday.

The court fixed December 18 as the date for the prosecution to present its evidence in the case.

According to the prosecution, the victim, identified as one Sagir of Kharad village of the district, was murdered while rioters burned several houses on September 8, 2013.

The Special Investigation Team probing the riots cases had filed the charge-sheet against the six accused.

Communal violence which broke out in Muzaffarnagar in early September of last year left more than 40 people dead and about 40,000 homeless.