A local court has acquitted eight people accused of looting and arson during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots due to lack of evidence.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Alka Bharti issued the order acquitting Azadpal, Jitender, Parul, Vikas, Gaurav, Kuldeep, Sanjay and Mithlesh on Saturday.

The court said the prosecution failed to prove the charges.

According to defence counsel Pradeep Kumar Malik, an FIR was registered by Akram on September 8, 2013, in which he alleged that rioters entered his house in lisadh village under the Phugana police station, committed loot and set it on fire.

A Special Investigation Team had filed a charge sheet against nine accused in the case. During the pendency of the case, accused Rishipal died in 2016.

Over 60 people were killed and more than thousands displaced during the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013.

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