JOIN USPolice seek CBI probe into UP riots
Uttar Pradesh government may have constituted a special cell to investigate the cases lodged in connection with the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar, sharp differences have cropped up between the police and the government over it threatening speedy disposal of the cases and causing delay in giving justice to the victims.
According to the sources here, the local police officials in Muzaffarnagar wanted a probe by either CBI or the state crime branch into the Kaval killings, that had triggered the communal riots in the district, for impartial and fair investigation.
Though the violence had erupted after a member of a particular community was beaten to death by a frenzied mob during a mahapanchayat (meeting), tension had been simmering in the district after two youths were killed in Kaval area on August 27.
They had killed a youth of a particular community over an incident of eve teasing. The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) had convened the panchayat to register its protest against the killings and chalk out its strategy.
Senior police officials here also admitted that there was sharp resentment among the people in the district after many people had been wrongly implicated in the Kaval incident. “It also caused tension between the two communities,” the officials said.
Sources said the circle officer of Jansath in Muzaffarnagar had written to the senior police officials recommending a CBI/CBCID probe into the Kaval killings. “A probe by any of these agencies will not only be fair and impartial, no one will be able to complain of any kind of bias,” the local police officials had said.
The Muzaffarnagar district police chief Praveen Kumar, it is said, was in favour of such a probe and had also written to the DIG, Meerut in this regard.
Kumar, who had been sent to the riot-torn district after the violence had erupted there, had suddenly proceeded on long leave after writing the letter.
Even the outgoing additional director general of police, law and order, Arun Kumar too concurred with the suggestion, sources said. The government, however, was strictly against a CBI probe and was not happy with Arun Kumar favouring it.
The Supreme Court is already hearing a petition seeking a CBI probe into the riots.