Mumbai, May 9: A special court trying the 1992-93 riot cases today acquitted 20 people, including a Shiv Sena MLA, upsetting the Muslim leadership and raising questions about the Congress-led government’s commitment to deliver justice to the victims.

Sena legislator Gajanan Kirtikar and senior councillor Ravindra Waikar were among the 20 set free by the court for lack of evidence in a case dating back to January 1993. The Sena leaders were leading a march to a police station through Muslim areas in Jogeshwari, violating prohibitory orders. They were told to disperse by the police, but while doing so, the mob attacked several Muslim homes, stabbed a few residents and tried to storm a mosque.

The police arrested several Sena workers but no case was lodged against the politicians.

The Sena leaders were booked in 2001 after they were found guilty by the Srikrishna Commission investigating the riots that erupted in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition.

So far, 44 people have been acquitted in 11 riot cases. These are part of the 156 cases currently being tried by two special magistrates at courts specially set up by the Maharashtra government. Only two accused have been convicted so far and sentenced to three months in jail.

Kirtikar, who served as the home minister in the previous Sena-BJP government, said: “We were innocent. As people’s representatives, we had moved extensively during the riots to ease tension. But we were arrested. We are happy that justice has prevailed.”

Waikar, chairperson of the standing committee of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, termed the case “politically motivated”.

However, Nirbhay Bano Andolan activist Shakeel Ahmed, who has been campaigning for the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission report, said: “The series of acquittals reflects the intention of the Democratic Front government. The government showed great determination in seriously pursuing the 1993 serial bomb blasts through 14 years to get the accused punished. The same determination is not seen in the riots cases.”

Besides the two senior Sena leaders, the others found not guilty today by special magistrate Rajeshwari Bapat Sarkar are party activists Nandkumar Kale, Shridhar Khade and Raghunath Kadam, VHP’s Laltapratap Singh and 14 local people who were part of the unlawful march of January 4, 1993.

Justice Srikrishna’s report submitted in 1998 had found them guilty of flouting prohibitory orders. It mentioned that houses of 15 Muslims and one Hindu were damaged, and seven Muslims and one Hindu had suffered stab injuries.