Lekha G
The Allahabad High Court has claimed a response from Uttar Pradesh Government on a petition filed by Qurban Ali, Vibhuti Narain Rai, Ismail Khan and MA Rashid seeking expeditious trial in the 1987 Maliana village massacre case.
The case is followed by an incident involving communal killings of 72 Muslim men in Meerut district in May 1987.
A Division bench of Acting Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice Prakash Padia ordered the State Government to file counter affidavit in the matter. “Taking into consideration the grievance raised in the petition and the relief sought we call upon the State to file counter affidavit and para-wise reply to the writ petition. List in week commencing 24th May,2021 in the additional cause list” stated the order.
The petitioners alleged that the communal killings were done by 44th Battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary instructed by communalist leader, RD Tripathi and with the help of UP Administration destroyed all the evidence including the court records.
They further alleged that the trial is at a standstill from 32 years of occurrence of the incident and the report of the independent probe ordered by Srivastava Commission into the matter has been suppressed.
The petitioners have pleaded the court to direct the State Government to reconstruct the court record and move forward with the trial.