Five acquitted in case of burning mosque during 2013 riots

A local court in Muzaffarnagar has acquitted five individuals in a 13-year-old case involving vandalism and arson of a mosque and a house during the 2013 communal riots. A lawyer stated on Friday (November 6, 2026) that the court took this decision due to a lack of evidence.

According to government prosecutor Narendra Sharma, Additional District and Sessions Judge Vijay Kumar acquitted Anuj, Arvind, Neetu, Ankit, and Ramkumar on Thursday (November 5). The court observed that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against these five accused.

The incident occurred on September 8, 2013, in Muthbhar village, located within the jurisdiction of the Bhorkhala police station. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet against these five accused after investigating the incident. The accused faced serious charges of vandalising and setting fire to the mosque.

Additionally, the accused were alleged to have looted approximately ₹1 lakh in cash gathered at the religious site during the riots. A complaint regarding the entire matter was lodged by the victim, Shahabuddin. According to Shahabuddin's complaint, more than 50 people had vandalised and set fire to the mosque.

The complaint further stated that the attackers looted cash from the mosque, entered Shahabuddin's house, vandalised it, and set it on fire. Based on this incident, the SIT conducted an investigation and filed a chargesheet against five individuals, but the court eventually acquitted them as evidence was not found.

According to a report by The Hindu, the court acquitted the accused considering the lack of evidence in the case. This incident dates back to the period of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, during which numerous properties were damaged.