Local Court Acquits Five in 2013 Muzaffarnagar Mosque Arson Case

A local court acquitted five people accused of vandalising a mosque and looting cash during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, citing lack of evidence. Additional District and Sessions Judge Vijay Kumar delivered the verdict on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The accused – Anuj, Arvind, Nitu, Ankit and Ramkumar – had been charged with setting fire to a mosque in Muthbhar village, Bhorakala police‑station area, on September 8, 2013, and stealing roughly ₹1 lakh collected at the religious site. The victim, Shahbuddin, claimed more than 50 rioters had attacked the mosque, ransacked his house and set it ablaze. The Special Investigation Team filed a chargesheet against the five after its probe, but the prosecution could not prove any of the allegations, according to government counsel Narendra Sharma. The acquittal comes as courts continue to review cases from the 2013 communal unrest, including a recent decision to withdraw charges against 25 others, among them BJP leaders Sanjeev Balyan. ## Context The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots sparked widespread violence between communities and led to numerous criminal cases that have taken years to resolve. Acquittals like this reflect the challenges of gathering reliable evidence long after the incidents occurred.