It took the fast-track court 11 years to clear them of charges related to the 2013 communal riots. The accused and their families say they suffered for years due to political and communal targeting
NEW DELHI/MUZAFFARNAGAR — A fast-track court in Muzaffarnagar has acquitted 16 Muslim men facing serious charges related to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, saying the prosecution failed to present credible evidence. The court’s decision came as a relief for the accused, who had spent over a decade under the cloud of allegations stemming from one of India’s most infamous communal flare-ups.
The Additional District Judge Nishant Singla passed the order on Tuesday, acquitting all the accused due to lack of sufficient evidence presented by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Special Public Prosecutor Narendra Sharma said, “The SIT had filed a charge sheet against 16 people based on the complaint and their investigation, but the court said the charges could not be proven beyond a doubt.”
Those acquitted include Nazar Mohammad, Qasim, Zaheer, Gayur, Mir Hasan, Khalid, Gulsher, Shamshad, Mustafa, Jan Mohammad, Asgar, Farooq, Anwar, another Jan Mohammad, Javed, and Mohammad Ayub — all residents of Nagla Buzurg village in Muzaffarnagar.
All 16 were accused of attacking a tractor-trolley carrying several individuals, including one Sohanveer Singh, using sharp weapons and sticks. Singh reportedly died in the attack, and several others were injured. The FIR was registered by Singh’s son, Jogendra Singh, at the Bhopa police station.
Despite the seriousness of the charges, the SIT failed to provide strong forensic or eyewitness evidence to establish guilt.
Speaking to the media, one of the acquitted men, 58-year-old Shamshad, said, “We have spent 11 years waiting for justice. We were innocent but were labelled as criminals just because we are Muslims. This was never about truth, it was about politics.”
Family members of the accused broke down in court when the judge announced the verdict. Many claimed they lost jobs, social standing, and were subjected to mental trauma over the years.
“My father’s name was maligned in the whole district. He didn’t even step out of the house for years,” said Mohammad Haseeb, son of another acquitted man, Gulsher.
Lawyers representing the accused questioned the intention of the investigation from the beginning. Advocate Aslam Siddiqui, who has been defending several of the accused, said, “The charges were politically motivated. There was no direct evidence, no reliable witnesses, nothing. It was a case built on suspicion, not fact.”
The 2013 riots in Muzaffarnagar and nearby areas left over 60 people dead and displaced nearly 40,000, mostly Muslims. The violence erupted after a series of incidents involving local Hindu and Muslim communities in western Uttar Pradesh.
Though several leaders of the BJP and its affiliated groups were accused of fanning communal tensions, very few faced serious legal consequences.
Most displaced Muslim families were forced to live in relief camps under inhuman conditions for months. Even today, many have not returned to their original homes due to fear and lack of support.
A local activist, Shahana Parveen, said, “While Muslims were blamed, beaten, and jailed, those responsible for starting the fire walked free. This acquittal proves what we’ve been saying for years — Muslims were framed to protect the real culprits.”
The court’s decision has again raised questions about how the state machinery handled riot cases, especially those involving Muslims. Several reports in the past have shown how Muslims were disproportionately arrested and booked, while many Hindu accused were spared or given political protection.
Human rights lawyer Mehmood Pracha said, “There’s a pattern here. Every time there is a riot, Muslims are not only the victims but also the ones arrested. This is part of the larger narrative being pushed by Hindutva forces to criminalise an entire community.”
The acquittal of these 16 men brings back focus on the political misuse of police and investigative agencies under governments influenced by communal ideologies.
This is not the first time the SIT’s investigations have come under question. Legal experts say the agency has repeatedly failed to maintain neutrality, especially in riot-related cases.
“This verdict is not just a relief to these men, but an indictment of the SIT’s shoddy work. Their investigation lacked depth and seriousness,” said former DGP and social commentator, Abdul Gani.
The SIT, created with much fanfare, has barely managed to convict anyone from the dominant community. Meanwhile, several Muslims have either been acquitted after long trials or are still languishing in jail without trial.
The verdict has provided some justice, but the scars remain. The lives of the acquitted have been permanently altered. Children dropped out of school, families migrated for survival, and the social boycott took a heavy toll.
“The court may have freed us, but who will give us back our lost years?” said Zaheer, one of the acquitted.
With this verdict, the call for a judicial review of riot cases grows louder. Community leaders have demanded compensation and an apology from the state government.
“This verdict is proof that the state failed us,” said Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui of a local madrasa. “The least the government can do now is offer compensation and clear the names of these men from police records.”
Although this particular case did not involve direct political figures, many in Muzaffarnagar believe that the 2013 riots were fuelled by hate campaigns run by Hindutva outfits like the ABVP and RSS. The silence of the BJP leaders even now is being seen as telling.
“They cried for Hindus in public meetings and jailed Muslims quietly. That was their justice,” said social worker Faizan Akram.
While the court’s verdict has brought some relief, it also reignites a much larger question: How many more innocents are still in jail due to their identity? And who will be held accountable for years of injustice?
