“We expect the appeal will be filed on May 22 or May 25,” Additional Advocate General Zafaryab Jilani said, after a meeting of Muslim leaders in the city with Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Jeelani said that a draft of the appeal has already been sent to the concerned lawyers
in Delhi and the appeal will be filed immediately after getting their opinion.
“The state government wants to file the petition as soon as possible. Therefore, all efforts are on to ensure that it is filed before May 29, that <g data-gr-id="42">is,</g> before the court closes for summer recess,” he said.
The decision comes in the wake of various Muslim organisations, including All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind, asking the UP government to challenge the verdict of a Delhi court.
Muslims account for 16 <g data-gr-id="32">per cent</g> of the electorate in the state and are considered as a significant vote bank.
Elections for the 403-member Assembly are due in early 2017 and Muslim voters can make or mar the electoral prospects of the ruling Samajwadi Party, which accepts that only because of Muslim votes it came to power last time.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Jindal in his March 21 judgement acquitted the 16 Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel of charges related to the killing 42 Muslims who were picked up from a village in Meerut, giving them benefit of doubt for want of evidence.
According to the prosecution, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Satish Tamta, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel had come to Hashimpura on May 22, 1987 and picked up about 50 Muslims as a congregation of 500 had gathered outside a mosque there. The victims were shot by the accused personnel and their bodies thrown into a canal, he had said, adding 42 persons were declared to have perished.
AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Nizamuddin had alleged that the decision of the lower court, which came 28 years after the massacre, was a result of failure on the part of the state government.
He had said the case should have been disposed of in four-five months but due to “lackadaisical attitude” of the government the case was dragged for 28 years.
Nizamuddin said though the lower court had acquitted all the accused, it had admitted there was a massacre in Hashimpura. <g data-gr-id="34">Spokesman</g> of Shia Personal Law Board Maulana <g data-gr-id="35">Yasoob</g> Abbas said the court order has disappointed the family members of the victims. Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind state chief <g data-gr-id="36">Ashhad</g> Rashidi had also demanded that the government challenge the lower court order.