Apex court warns UP over riots

The Supreme Court on Thursday warned the Uttar Pradesh government over fresh killings of four persons in Muzaffarnagar, saying that it may have to consider independent probe if the state government failed to contain the flare up.

A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice P Sathasivam asked the state government to file a report over the latest violence.

In a report of October 14 submitted in the apex court, the state government claimed the figure of the dead rose to 63 in the communal violence that took place in five districts of Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Meerut, Baghpat and Saharanpur between August 27 and September 27.

It had granted the ex gratia relief to the next of kin of 61 deceased people as two bodies remain unidentified.

Taking up the matter on Thursday, the court referred to the fresh killings and said, “It (violence) is an area of concern.”

“Are you aware that four persons died due to clash,” the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjana Prakash Desai and Ranjan Gogoi, asked UP government counsel Ravi Prakash Malhotra.

The counsel, on his part, submitted that the incident was not in communal in nature, nor was the result of any flare up.

“You file a report. We are taking it very seriously. So far, we are going by the reports of the Attorney General and state government. If we have any doubt on security and relief measures, we may have to consider sending independent persons for inquiry,” the bench said.

The court posted the matter for hearing on November 21. The bench also stayed an order passed by the Allahabad HC by which transfer of a few policemen shown in a sting operation blaming a minister for telling them not to act during violence was put on hold.

A bunch of PILs have been filed in the apex court seeking independent probe into the violence in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts of western Uttar Pradesh.