Alleging "one-sided action" by the Uttar Pradesh Police and administration in the triple murder case that took place in Kawal village of Muzaffarnagar on August 27, certain khaps in western UP had mobilised people for the massive mahapanchayat on Saturday which led to communal violence.

Two boys of Malikpura village in Muzaffarnagar were beaten to death after they had allegedly killed a boy of the minority community on August 27. Both were Jats. The initiative by the khaps was taken after the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) was asked by local administration to postpone a "condolence meet and Jansabha" scheduled for August 31 and BKU announced to postpone it further for 15 days.

Upset villagers, who had reached Nangala Mandaur village August 31, decided that if police failed to arrest those involved in the killing of the two boys in a week, then a mahapanchayat would be called on September 7 to decide future course of action.

Later, the call for mahapanchayat on September 7 in Nangala Mandaur village of Muzaffarnagar district was given by heads of different khaps. While the lead was taken by Har Kishan Malik, chaudhary of Gathwala Khap, as the two boys Gaurav and Sachin who were killed on August 27 belonged to this khap, heads of other khaps in western UP also joined in mobilising the crowd.

Locals said two days before the mahapanchayat, Malik had called a panchayat in Lisard village of Shamli district on September 5, which had also seen a huge gathering. Villagers had raised the issue of "one-sided action" by administration in Kawal incident and demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh each for the family members of the two boys killed on August 27.

Sources said initially BKU had backed out from the programme fearing action by the administration but after they faced criticism by the locals, they also announced support to the mahapanchayat.

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