Prayagraj, Jul 13 (IANS): The Allahabad High Court has admitted a criminal appeal against the acquittal of 41 accused in the Maliana massacre case of 1987 by the court of the additional sessions judge in Meerut on March 31 this year.

A bench of the high court admitted the appeal on July 11 and issued notice to the state government and the accused in the case.

The high court also summoned the lower court records.

Qurban Ali, who has been supporting the victims of violence in their legal battle, said the high court fixed August 14 for hearing the appeal.

Survivors of the violence, Vakil Ahmad, Mohd Yakoob and Ismail Khan had filed the appeal in the high court.

At least 68 people were killed in violence that broke out in Maliana, a village located about 10 km west of Meerut, on May 23, 1987.

On March 31, over 36 years and 800 hearings later, a sessions court in Meerut acquitted all the 41 accused, citing “lack of evidence”.

The other 40 people named as accused in the FIR died during trial.

Earlier this year, a survivor of the massacre, Rais Ahmed, had filed a petition in the Allahabad high court, challenging the verdict of the additional sessions judge.

On May 8, the high court directed the state government to provide the file of the case and fixed August 14 for the next hearing.

That order was passed by Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Manish Kumar Nigam on a criminal appeal filed by Rais Ahmed.