MP riots over cow: SC raps police for not examining videos

New Delhi: The Supreme Court reprimanded Madhya Pradesh police today for not producing the important evidence-videos and photographs-pertaining to the 2013 communal riots, caused by an alleged cow slaughter rumour.

“You (Deputy Superintendent of SIB) are in for a serious trouble, sir! Why have you not got the VCD examined,” asked a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud while speaking about the 9 of the 12 who got acquitted from rioting cases in which FIRs were lodged.

The bench warned the concerned police officers, as to why no action has been taken.

The bench granted two weeks of time to activist Anurag Modi, who had filed the plea through advocate Pyoli, to examine the judgment of a district court acquitting nine persons in a rioting case. Modi had filed the appeal against an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in the case, reports Indian Express.

The plea also asked officials that why the VCD was not produced as an evidence before the court.

Read More: Madhya Pradesh court acquits nine accused in 2013 Harda riots

When it was showed to the court that the VCD had been used in the charge sheet, it got convinced that a social activist should not interfere in the probe. Later, the bench got irked when it was informed that the VCD was not used as evidence in the lower court and nine accused have been acquitted in the case.

Initially, when the court came to know, the videos and photographs were not used as evidence, it had directed the Investigating Officer (IO), who had probed the 12 FIRs lodged in connection with the riots that had taken place on September 9, 2013, in Kheda and Pahatgaon villages of Harda district, to appear before it today.

54 persons had lost their houses and businesses in MP riots over the rumour. Twelve FIRs were registered by police naming Surendra Singh Rajput alias Tiger as the main accused in all the cases.

“The entire incident was stage managed and well-planned, attempted to be portrayed as one of communal nature. In fact, the cow had died of choking of respiratory pipe and asphyxia caused by large amount polyethylene consumption … and 12 FIRs were registered initially, yet none included the names of the BJP members, who were main conspirators and instigators,” the plea alleged.