A special court in Ahmedabad has convicted a former minister in NaMo's government of murder in the biggest post-Godhra communal massacre at Naroda Patia.
The court held 32 people guilty for the massacre, including the ex-minister, MLA and gynaecologist Dr Maya Kodnani, and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, saying the killings were a part of a pre-planned conspiracy. This is the largest number of people convicted in a single 2002 riots case and comes as Gujarat prepares to go into the run-up for the December assembly election.
This is also the sixth 2002 case investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has seen convictions.
All the convicts have been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, rioting, arson, attempt to murder, unlawful assembly, insulting religious sentiments by targeting religious places and fanning communal hatred.
The court also convicted three persons—Suresh Didawala, Manubhai Maruda and Mukesh Rathod alias Vakil—of gang rape. This is only the second post-Godhra case in which rape charges have been proved, the first being the Bilkis Bano case.
Dr Maya Kodnani is a BJP MLA since 1998 and was minister of state for women and child development in 2009 when arrested. Soon after the verdict, she broke down and said she was a victim of politics. The Gujarat government distanced itself from Kodnani saying an MLA is not a govt functionary, nor was Kodnani a minister when the incident took place
BJP plays down verdict:
On February 28, 2002, 97 Muslims, including 36 children and 35 women, were killed after 59 people, mostly kar sevaks, were burned alive in the Sabarmati Express carnage at Godhra a day earlier.
Delivering the verdict, additional principal judge Jyotsna Yagnik acquitted 29 others, giving them the benefit of doubt. The quantum of punishment is likely to be declared on Friday.
The trial began in August 2009 and charges were framed against 62 people, while one accused died during the course of trial.
The judgment runs into 1,927 pages. The judge heard the case for 37 months and the prosecution examined 327 witnesses comprising eyewitnesses, victims, doctors, police personnel, government officials and forensic experts. Journalist Ashish Khetan, who conducted a TV sting operation on the accused, was also examined by the court.
The Gujarat police had arrested 46 people initially, whereas 24 more people were apprehended after the probe was handed over to the SIT in 2008. The court rejected victims’ plea to arraign top cops and kept its order on demand of compensation on Friday.
Three-term Naroda MLA Maya Kodnani gets 28 years in jail — 10 years for voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons and 18 years’ life imprisonment.
First woman and MLA to be convicted in post-Godhra riots case
Kodnani convicted for criminal conspiracy as well, disproving Modi’s claim that the riots were spontaneous
and the ruling BJP had nothing to do with it
Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi gets imprisonment till death; 22 to serve 14-year terms; 7 to serve 21 years
1 comment:
At this critical junction in Indian Judicial System.... All 32 people convicted should be hanged along with Ajmal Kasab ..... This will be a Message to the World that there is No Room for compromise and relief for Terrorists !!
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