New Delhi, February 8: All the seven convicts in the killing of two youths in Kawal village have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court. The seven people convicted were charged with killing two brothers in Kawal village during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case. The court pronounced the quantum of their sentences Friday. Yogi Adityanath-led UP Government Likely to Withdraw Over 131 Cases in Connection of 2013 Muzaffarnagar Riots.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Himashu Bhatnagar convicted Muzammil, Mujassim, Furkan, Nadeem, Janangir, Afzal and Ikbal for killing Gaurav and Sachin on August 27, 2013 and rioting, said district prosecution counsel Rajiv Sharma. Bulandshahr Mob Violence Pre-Planned, Says Prakash Karat as he Compares it With 2013 Muzaffarnagar Riots.

The killing of the two youths in Kawal village is said to have triggered the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that led to killings of over 60 people.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the two youths of Kawal village under Jansath police station area were battered to death by the five of thee men.

The two other convicts, Afzal and Iqbal, however, were summoned by the court later under provisions of section 319 of the Criminal Procedure Code when the evidence of their complicity in the killings emerged during the trial.

The court convicted the seven after examining 10 prosecution witnesses and six in their defence.

As per official figures, given by prosecution counsel Sharma, over 6,000 cases were lodged following the 2013 riots and 1,480 accused were arrested for their alleged roles in the riots. A special investigation team, which probed the cases, had filed chargesheets in 175 cases. 46 of them involving 430 accused resulted in acquittal. The state government has withdrawn some cases. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2019 04:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).