Headlines
Hashimpura massacre: UP appeals against 16 policemen's acquittal
New Delhi, May 22
The Uttar Pradesh government
on Friday moved the Delhi High Court, challenging a court's verdict in
the 1987 Hashimpura massacre case acquitting 16 police personnel accused
of killing 42 Muslim men in Meerut.
The Uttar Pradesh government
filed the appeal against the March 21 trial court order which
acquitted 16 Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel of the
charges dealing with murder, attempt to murder, tampering with evidence
and conspiracy.
The government alleged that there are "lapses" in
the judgment of trial court, which also "overlooked" the statements of
survivors.
Suresh Chand Sharma, Niranjan Lal, Kamal Singh, Rambir
Singh, Sami Ullah, Mahesh Prasad, Jaipal Singh, Ram Dhayam, Sarwan
Kumar, Leela Dhar, Hambir Singh, Kunwar Pazal Singh, Budha Singh, Budhi
Singh, Mokham Singh and Basant Vallabh who were facing the trial in
27-year-old massacre were acquitted in the case.
The trial court
freed all the accused from all charges framed against them by giving
them the "benefit of doubt" for want of sufficient evidence regarding
their identity.
The court said although the accused persons have
been acquitted in this case, it felt the victims and affected families
should be rehabilitated.
There were 19 accused in the case. Three of them died during the trial.
The
killings allegedly occurred during riots in Meerut city when the
victims were picked up from the Hashimpura area of the city by personnel
of the 41st Battalion of the PAC during a search operation.
The
charge sheet in the case was filed before the chief judicial magistrate
in Ghaziabad in 1996. The case was transferred to Delhi in September
2002 on the order of the Supreme Court following a petition by the
families of the massacre victims and survivors.
A sessions court
here in July 2006 framed charges of murder, attempt to murder, tampering
with evidence and conspiracy against all the accused.