The Supreme Court issued notices to the Central Government and Uttar Pradesh government on a petition seeking transfer of Muzaffarnagar riots probe from state police to an independent agency.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam asked them to file their replies and posted the matter for hearing on Nov. 21. The order came following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Jat Mahasabha of Meerut questioning the UP police probe and seeking transfer of the inquiry. The bench said it would hear the Jat Mahasabha’s plea along with other petitions filed on Muzaffarnagar riots.

The Supreme Court is already seized of some other petitions on Muzaffarnagar riots that claimed 61 lives since Sept. 7. The state government had informed the court that over 41,000 persons, out of 50,955 who had taken shelter in 58 relief camps in riots-hit areas, had returned to their homes.

The status report, filed by Divisional Commissioner of Saharanpur, however, admitted that nearly 10,000 persons were still living in 10 operational camps and the residents of six riot-hit villages of Muzaffarnagar “have not agreed to return to their native villages even after confidence building measures and serious persuasion.”

“Their decision was found to be justified largely based on the fear emanating from the kind of incidents that broke out on Sept. 7-8,” it said. The state government had decided to pay the families, reluctant to go back, Rs 5 lakh per family for “resettlement and rehabilitation,” it added.