A special cell comprising an additional Superintendent of Police, two DySP and 30 police inspectors, set-up to investigate cases related to riots here, has started collecting evidence.

The special cell was formed on the instructions of the UP Government, District Magistrate, Kaushal Raj Sharma said yesterday.

Close to 1,700 arms licences have been cancelled in the area since the riots erupted and notice issued to 5,000 other arms license holders, the DM said.

A total of 7,198 people from 4,729 families are at present living in 41 relief camps set up by the administration, he said, adding the problem has largely been witnessed in 32 villages of Muzaffarnagar.

Senior Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said that close to 20 Special Investigation Teams have been constituted to probe the riot cases.

The special teams have been asked to go to camps to obtain complaints from the riot-affected people and people can even approach the SSPs camp office in the city to file the complaints, he said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union chief Naresh Tikait, who is accused of provoking violence, has demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

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