6 Muzaffarnagar riot victims attacked for objecting to harassment

Six Muzaffarnagar riot victims, two of them women, suffered injuries after they objected to the alleged sexual harassment of some girls by a group of youths who pelted stones at them at Palda village in the district.

Police said a complaint has been lodged against a dozen people. Two of them have been identified as Gulab and Naeem, who are currently absconding.

According to the complaint lodged by one Iqbal, the youths were harassing some girls at Palda village where the victims of the riots had been rehabilitated in 2013. When they raised objections to the youths, they were pelted with stones and suffered injuries.

The injured persons, including two women, were shifted to hospital.

Violence erupted in the distrit after simmering discontent following the alleged harassment of a young woman Aug 27 in a village Muzaffarnagar district. Uttar Pradesh officials told the media that the three days of violence had left over 43,000 people homeless.

The then Uttar Pradesh government had sanctioned funds for financial compensation to the injured, riot-affected and ex-gratia for the next of kin of the 43 people officially listed as killed in the violence.

Both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam S had accused rival parties of triggering trouble in Muzaffarnagar, a bustling city 130 km from New Delhi, and nearby areas.