Muzaffarnagar (UP), July 17 : President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Naresh Tikait, was acquitted by a local court here in Muzaffarnagar in a 20-year-old murder case for lack of evidence, prosecution sources said here.
Prosecution sources said that on September 6, 2003, farmer leader Jagveer Singh was shot dead in his ancestral village of Sisauli. “Jagveer’s son and former minister Yograj Singh had lodged a case against Naresh Tikait, Rajiv alias Bittu, and Praveen, both residents of Alawalpur village,” they said.
Prosecution sources said that Rajiv, alias Bittu, and Praveen died during the course of the trial. “Though the police and Crime Branch of the Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) gave a clean chit to Tikait, he was being summoned by the court as an accused on the basis of the statement of the complainant,” they said.
Prosecution sources said that four days ago, the court of Additional District Judge (V) Ashok Kumar concluded the hearing in the case and reserved its order. “The court had fixed July 17 as the next date of hearing. On Monday, while delivering its order, the court acquitted Tikait for lack of evidence,” they said.
