U.P. to withdraw 18 cases on Muzaffarnagar riots

This 2013 file photo shows security personnel keeping vigil at Kawal village in Muzaffarnagar from where the riots started

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to withdraw 18 cases related to the Muzaffarnagar riots and asked the district authorities to approach the court, sources said on Sunday.

The cases were filed under relevant sections of the IPC including 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 397 (attempt to cause death), the sources said.

Several BJP leaders, including MPs and MLAs, have been named in many cases filed in relation to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, which claimed 60 lives.

However, the cases asked to be withdrawn do not include the names of these leaders.