A court here on Monday issued non-bailable warrants against several Hindutva activists and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Uttar Pradesh minister Kapil Dev Agrawal, Dasna temple priest Yati Narsinghanand, former state minister Suresh Rana, former MP Bhatendu Singh and former MLA Ashok Kansal, for not appearing before it in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots case.
Special Judge Devendra Faujdar of the MP-MLA court issued the warrants and fixed October 29 for framing charges against the accused.
The court has ordered all the accused to appear before it on the next date.
Former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sadhvi Prachi, former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Umesh Malik, former BJP MP Sohanvir Singh and Lok Sabha MP from Muzaffarnagar Harendra Singh Malik were present in the court on Monday.
"Twenty people, including Balyan, Sadhvi Prachi, Agrawal, Umesh Malik, Kansal and Bhatendu Singh, are facing trial in the case," prosecution officer Niraj Singh told PTI.
He added that 12 of the accused did not appear before the court on Monday, while eight were present.
The prosecution has alleged that the accused took part in a panchayat meeting in Naglamador village and incited violence through their speeches in August 2013.
More than 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced in the 2013 communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts of Uttar Pradesh.
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