The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court on Monday that all efforts are being made to curtail the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar district and provide relief to families affected by the clashes in which enormous loss of life and property has been reported.
The Centre also told the bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam that 78 companies of Centre Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed in the riot-hit areas. The response of the Centre and the state government was filed in compliance of apex court order directing them to file their replies on a PIL seeking a direction to them for carrying out relief and rehabilitation work in the affected districts. The Central government also informed the court that assistance of `2 lakh would be given to the families of those killed in the riots, under Prime Minister Relief Scheme, in addition to `10 lakh assistance announced by the state government.
Giving details of the ground situation, the Centre in its response said that as per the state government’s reply, 44 people were killed and 97 injured in the violence-hit areas and 2,462 people have so far been arrested. It said that 41,829 people are stranded in Shamli and Muzaffarnagar.
The apex court had earlier directed the UP government to take immediate steps in association with the Centre to bring under control the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and ensure safe passage to people stranded in the conflict zone.