40 accused acquitted in Meerut's Maliana massacre case; lack of evidence

On 23 May, 1987, riots took place in Maliana of Meerut district in which 72 Muslims were killed. On Saturday, a court acquitted over 40 accused due to lack of evidence and hearings will continue against 30 others.

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh): An Additional District Judge Court here ordered the acquittal of over 40 accused in the 1987 Maliana massacre case due to lack of evidence. In this case, going on in court for 36 years, so far 23 accused have died. Over 93 people were named as accused. Whereas, the hearing against the other 30 accused will continue in court.

ADGC Criminal Sachin Mohan said that on May 23, 1987, in the Maliana incident, Yakub Ali s/o Nazir resident of Maliana had filed a case against 93 people. Over 72 people died in those riots. In the complaint lodged at Police Station TP Nagar, the plaintiff alleged that the attack was carried out by targeting the people of a particular community. In this, arson, fighting and a lot of bullets were also fired.

In the case, including the plaintiff, 10 testified in court. But, the prosecution could not succeed in presenting sufficient evidence against the accused, due to which the court after perusing the evidence on Saturday ordered the acquittal of 40 accused. Among them Kailash Bharti, Kalicharan, Sunil, Pradeep, Dharampal, Vikram, Tilakram, Tarachand, Dayachand, Prakash, Ramji Lal, Garibdas, Bhikari, Santram, Mahendra, Veer Singh, Rakesh, Jeete, Kunnu, Shashi, Narendra, Kanti, Trilok Chand, Omprakash, Kanhaiya, Ashok, Roopchand, Omprakash, Puran, Naresh Kumar, Rakesh, Kendra Prakash, Satish, Lakhmi and Vijendra and other 5 people.

Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister during the 1987 Maliana incident. He had ordered a CBI inquiry into the killings in this violence. After this, the CBI started its investigation on 28 June 1987 and after the complete investigation also submitted its report.

On May 23, 1987, tremendous violence took place in Maliana of Meerut. Over 72 Muslims were killed in that violence. On May 22, clashes were reported first at Hashimpura. After this, on May 23, 72 Muslims were killed in violence in Maliana village, located 7 km from Hashimpura.

In 2022, senior reporter Kurban Ali filed a petition in the High Court. The petition filed in the Allahabad High Court demanded an SIT probe into the role of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in the killings and compensation to the victims. Yameen, who lives in Maliana, told that he lost his father in this riot.

He along with the rest of the family members took shelter in the house of a Harijan family, only then somehow his life could be saved.