India, Feb. 9 -- A Muzaffarnagar court has acquitted 22 people in connection with a murder, loot and arson case linked to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, citing a lack of evidence.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Kanishk Kumar acquitted the accused on Saturday, observing that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, Government counsel Narendra Sharma said.

He said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had filed a chargesheet against 26 people in the case related to incidents reported from Mohammadpur Raisingh village on September 8, 2013.

During the pendency of the trial, four of the accused died, leaving 22 to face the proceedings.

According to the prosecution, a complaint was lodged by one Haneef,...