UP govt refuses sanction to prosecute Yogi in 2007 Gorakhpur riots

The Uttar Pradesh government has refused to grant sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the 2007 Gorakhpur communal riots case.

The state government counsel told the Allahabad High Court that the home department, which is headed by Yogi, was of the opinion that permission for prosecution could not be granted as the evidence against the accused is questionable. The counsel told the court that the forensic examination of the CD, reportedly containing an inflammatory speech by Adityanath, had revealed that it had been tampered with.

Earlier, the court had directed the state chief secretary to appear in court and explain the state government’s stand in the case.

One person was killed and several others injured in the communal violence during a Moharram procession at Gorakhpur in 2007.  Adityanath, who was then a BJP MP, and some members of youth group Hindu Yuva Vahini, were booked in the case. Adityanath was booked under Section 153 A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion).

The previous Samajwadi Party regime had also not accorded sanction to prosecute Adityanath. Parvez Parvaz, a local journalist, had filed a petition in the court, seeking a CBI probe into the riots case. Parvez said he would challenge the refusal and sought time for the same from the court.

The matter will come up for further hearing on July 7.