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I saw Mayaben at Assembly, civil hospital on Feb 28: Amit Shah tells court

Last Updated 18 September 2017, 12:42 IST
Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president on Monday said that he had seen Mayaben Kodnani, the accused in 2002 Naroda Gam riots case, in Gujarat Assembly and then at Sola Civil Hospital on February 28, 2002.

Kodnani is one of the key accused in Naroda Gam case where 11 persons from minority community were killed in riots that broke out across Gujarat post burning of Sabarmati Express near Godhra, killing 58 persons.

Deposing before the special designated court of Justice P B Desai, Amit Shah submitted that, “Mayaben was not at Naroda Gam but in the state Assembly at 8.30 am. Later, I was at the (Sola) Civil Hospital where I met Maya Kodnani.”

Shah said that he was visiting Sola civil hospital that was located in his electoral constituency. It is at this hospital that the bodies of Godhra train massacre victims had been brought in 2002. Shah said that Kodnani was seen consoling families of those killed in Godhra attack when he reached there.

“Amit Shah said that he had seen Mayaben at Assembly at 8.30 am and later at civil hospital at around 11.00 am to 11.30 am. When asked where she was in the interim, Amit Shah expressed ignorance,” Shamshad Pathan, lawyer for families of victims of Naroda Gam, told mediapersons.

Witnesses have alleged in the court that Kodnani led the rioters in Naroda Gam between 9.30 am and 10,00 am. “We have been saying that Mayaben was at the venue of Naroda Gam riots between 9.00-10.00 am and if you see Amit Shah’s testimony, it points to her presence,” Imtiaz Qureshi, victim of Naroda Gam violence, said.

Shah was appearing before the court following summons issued after Maya Kodnani claimed that despite repeated attempts she had failed to get BJP chief to depose as her defence witness. She wanted him to appear and prove her alibi that she was not present at the scene of violence but in the Assembly and at Sola civil hospital. Kodnani, who is one of the 82 accused, had enlisted 14 witnesses, 13 of whom had already deposed before Shah did on Monday.

Naroda Gam case is one of the nine major cases of 2002 riots that were investigated by a Special Investigation Team appointed by the Supreme Court. So far, 187 witnesses have been examined by prosecution and 58 by defence side in the case.

When SIT prosecution lawyer asked Shah why he had not testified in another riot case of Naroda Patiya, where Kodnani was found guilty and sentenced to 28 years in jail, Shah said that “though Mayaben was with him, she had not seek his testimony” and that he was neither summoned nor approached by prosecution or defence side.

In Naroda Patiya, located next to Naroda Gam, 97 persons from minority community, including women and children, were killed in violence on the same day as Naroda Gam.

“Now that Shah’s statement has been taken, the case enters argument stage and the court would be able to deliver its judgement. The victims, who have been waiting for justice for last 15 years would get it,” Pathan said.

Maya Kodnani – The journey so far
 
Early Life

* Studied at a Gujarati-medium school founded by her father at Deesa, Banaskantha district, N. Gujarat, known more as a potato growing hub

* Pursued MBBS & Diploma in Gynaecology & Obstetricsfrom Baroda Medical College
Joined Rashtriya Sevika Samiti, RSS women’s wing.

* Moved to Ahmedabad. Set up Shivam Maternity Hospital in Sindhi-dominated Kubernagar area near Naroda in Ahmedabad.
 
Political Journey

* Became BJP candidate from Saijpur Bogha ward in Ahmedabad civic polls in 1995
* Elevated to chairman of the Standing Committee.
* 1998 - Elected to Gujarat Legislative Assembly on a BJP ticket from Naroda constituency.
* 1998-2000: General Secretary & later chief of Gujarat BJP Mahila Morcha.
* 2000-2005: First woman president of Ahmedabad BJP.
* 2002, 2007: Kodnani wins Assembly polls from Naroda with massive margins.
* 2007: Appointed as Gujarat’s minister of state for women and child welfare in government led by Narendra Modi
 
Naroda Patiya Massacre
 
* February 28, 2002: Burning of Sabarmati Express near Godhra killing 58 Kar Sevaks on way back from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad
* February 28, 2002: Riots broke out across the state, including in Naroda Patiya area, part of Naroda constituency represented by Maya Kodnani.
* As many as 97 persons, including women and children, were killed in communal clashes.
 
Naroda Gam Massacre

* February 28, 2002: Naroda Gam, which too falls under Kodnani’s Naroda constituency, too was caught amidst 2002 communal riots in Ahmedabad.
* As many as 11 persons were killed in Naroda Gam, situated next to Naroda Patiya.
* Kodnani accused of instigating Naroda Gam riots, firing pistol and distributing arms that she apparently carried to the area in her car.
 
Post 2002 riots

* Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team makes Kodnani an accused in both Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam riot cases
* SIT declares Kodnani an absconder as she fails to respond to it’s requests for deposition
* March 2009: Kodnani arrested, resigns as minister
* August 31, 2012: A special SIT court convicts and sentences Kodnani to 28 years in prison, describing her as the kingpin of the massacre
* April 2013: Gujarat government decides to seek death penalty for Kodnani by filing an appeal in Gujarat High Court against Special court’s judgment in the case
* May 2013: Gujarat government withdraws its decision to seek death penalty
November 2013: Kodnani granted interim bail of three months for treatment of intestinal TB
* July 30, 2014: Gujarat High Court accepts Kodnani’s plea for a regular bail on grounds of ill-health.
* April 13, 2017: Special court accedes to Kodnani’s request to summon 14 defence witnesses, including BJP national president Amit Shah to verify her claim that she was at Gujarat Assembly and later at Sola civil hospital on the day Naroda Gam massacre took place
* September 12, 2017: Special court summons Amit Shah after Kodnani claims that she is unable to trace him despite repeated attempts
* September 18, 2017: Amit Shah testifies in favour of Maya Kodnani saying that he had seen her in Gujarat Assembly and at Sola Civil Hospital on the fateful day of February 28, 2002.
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(Published 18 September 2017, 07:00 IST)

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