A Lucknow court on Wednesday summoned Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi and his associate Zia Abbas to stand trial in a murder case.
Judicial Magistrate AP Singh summoned the duo, rejecting a 'final report' by Lucknow police seeking closure of the July 2014 case on the ground that the victim had died after having been trampled in a stampede. The court summoned the duo to appear before it on August 19, ruling that there is prima facie evidence available to put them on the trial.
The court issued summonses accepting a protest application by Shia cleric Kalbe Jawwad, objecting to the prosecution's plea to close the case against Rizvi and Abbas.
The FIR in the case had been filed by Jawwad at the Wazirganj police station on July 25, 2014 after the incident.
In the FIR, Jawwad had said on the day of the incident, he was going to the chief minister's office in a procession to submit a memorandum against the alleged grabbing of Shia Waqf land. The procession was, however, stopped near Shahid Smarak by the police, while Rizvi and his supporters began creating ruckus there.
The police in its final report, filed after investigation, gave clean chit to Rizvi and Abbas, saying the police tried to stop the procession and used force, triggering a stampede in which many got injured.