Three years after communal violence left more than 60 persons dead and over 60,000 displaced in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining districts, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced compensation for the kin of those declared “missing” in the riots.
Lawyers and activists, however, termed the State’s action “delayed justice,” which comes just before the Assembly elections, and raised questions if by declaring persons allegedly killed in communal violence as “missing”, it was trying to shield the culprits and police officials.
The Akhilesh Yadav government has declared that Rs. 15 lakh each will be given as ex gratia to the families of 18 persons who went “missing” during the violence that affected Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat districts.
A sum of Rs. 15 lakh — Rs. 13 lakh from the State government and Rs. 2 lakh from the Centre — was paid as compensation to the families of those who were killed. “The State is providing financial assistance to the families of the missing solely from its own resources,” a government spokesperson said.
While officially, around 60 people were declared dead in the 2013 riots, there were more than a dozen cases where police had registered an FIR for “murder” under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code but not officially declared these persons “dead”.
Lawyer’s chargeLawyer Asad Hayat, who has been fighting for justice for the victims in the higher courts, said the persons declared missing were persons who had been murdered but their bodies not recovered later. He alleged that the State government and police authorities colluded with the accused to do away with the bodies.
Citing the example of Lisaad village in Muzaffarnagar, where 13 persons were killed, Mr. Hayat said while 11 bodies were never found, two others were located in a canal 70 km away in Baghpat district. “How did these two bodies reach Baghpat? And how did the other bodies disappear even when police had reached the spot? There were witnesses to the murders. The State has colluded with the accused.”
