UP government may withdraw cases against riot accused

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has once again taken a decision which has raised question marks on the administration of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. The government has started the process to withdraw the cases against those accused in the communal violence in Faizabad. One the persons against whom the case is being withdrawn has been accused of a murder during the violence.

On October 24, 2012 there was stone pelting on the Durga Puja immersion procession following which several shops were set on fire and then violence started. One person was killed in the violence in Faizabad's Puraqalandar area. The total number of people accused of indulging in violence was 31. Apart from these five cases were registered in the city area in which 29 people were named.

But now the Akhilesh government is trying to shield the accused. The justice department has sent a letter regarding the same to Faizabad District Magistrate. In the letter the District Magistrate has been asked to send a report about withdrawing cases against a dozen people.

Earlier too the Akhilesh government had tried to withdraw the cases against those accused of triggering blasts in courts in Faizabad, Lucknow and Varanasi. But the government backtracked following massive protests by the lawyers.

Now the opposition parties have criticized the government's move to withdraw cases against those accused in Faizabad violence. Congress leader Akhilesh Singh has called it a wrong move. He said that if case is politically motivated then there is justification to withdraw it, but it is wrong to take back cases related to terror and communal violence.

On the other hand the state government is saying that it is just a preliminary action and the courts will decide.

List of communal violence in the state after Akhilesh Yadav became the chief minister:

June 1, 2012: Mathura

June 23, 2012: Pratapgarh

July 23 and August 11, 2012: Bareily

August 17, 2012: Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad

September 17, 2012: Masuri area of Ghaziabad

October 24, 2012: Faizabad

A total of 17 people have been killed in the violence and 142 cases registered against the accused while 472 people have been arrested.