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While hearing a petition that alleged that the 2013 riots in Khirkiya tehsil of Harda district were not properly investigated, the Supreme Court has directed the Madhya Pradesh government to place the chargesheet, along with its translated version, before it within four weeks. Riots took place in Kheda and Pahatgaon villages under Chhipabad Police Station on September 9, 2013, over an alleged case of cow slaughter. Later, a postmortem report had revealed that the animal had died because it had consumed polythene bags.
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While 54 persons had lost their houses and businesses, 12 FIRs were registered by the police naming Surendra Singh Rajput alias Tiger as the main accused in all the cases.
Seeking a CBI probe in the case, activist Anurag Modi had moved the High Court with a prayer to book BJP leader and former minister Kamal Patel and his son Sudip alleging that they had instigated the riots with an eye on the assembly elections slated three months later. The petitioner had submitted what he called evidence of the duo’s alleged involvement in the riots.
Holding that the investigation in the case was complete, the High Court rejected the plea after which the petitioner moved the apex court.
Additional Advocate General P Kaurav told The Indian Express that the chargesheet had addressed all the allegations made by the petitioner. He also said that Anurag Modi did not produce evidence when he was served a notice by the local police station.
The petitioner argued that he had already submitted the evidence in his petition filed before the High Court. He added Sudeep was made an accused a month after the incident and after getting a notice from the High Court, but he was not arrested till the assembly elections were over.