A special designated court Thursday acquitted all 67 accused including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal activist Babubhai Patel alias Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Gam massacre case of 2002 post-Godhra. Eleven Muslims had been burnt to death in this case.
Principal sessions judge S K Baxi, who presided over the case, pronounced the judgement, acquitting all the accused. Soon after the pronouncement, chants of 'Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai' were raised in favour of the judgement in front of the court premises where relatives of the accused had gathered.
A large number of policemen had been deployed for the judgement who prevented the media from entering the courtroom. Advocates and sources who were present in the courtroom told DH that the judge pronounced the order stating that "tamam ne nirdosh chodva ma avel che (all have been acquitted as innocent)."
As soon as judgement was pronounced, advocates said, the accused sighed in relief and one of them reportedly chanted "Jai Shri Ram" when a defense lawyer warned them from sloganeering.
Also Read: Gujarat court acquits 22 accused in post-Godhra riots case in which 17 people were killed
Defense lawyer Chetan Shah, who represented most of the accused, told DH, "The court gave its verdict by acquitting all accused." Outside the courtroom, he told reporters, "Justice has been delivered after 21 years."
Advocate Shamshad Pathan, who represented the victims, told DH, "This is what we had anticipated. But, we will challenge the order in the high court."
The trial of the case started back in July 2009 against 86 accused, out of whom 18 died during pendency while one was discharged during the trial. This is also the ninth major rioting case investigated by the Supreme Court appointed-Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The SIT had examined a total of 187 witnesses, out of which 113 are victims and their relatives, 24 panch witnesses, 26 police witnesses, 12 doctors, among others.
Among the accused who have been acquitted are Kodnani, Bajrangi, former Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Jaydeep Patel, BJP corporator Vallabhbhai Patel, among others. They were facing charges of murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy, among others.
They were accused of killing 11 Muslims in Naroda Gam locality on February 28, 2002, a day coach S-6 of Sabarmati Express train was burnt at Godhra railway station in which 57 passengers, mostly karsevaks returning from Ayodhya were killed. The incident led to widespread riots in the state, which later came to be known as post-Godhra riots.
Earlier, Kodnani, Bajrangi and four others had been convicted in the Naroda Patiya massacre in which 97 Muslims were killed during the riots. Later, Kodnani, who was sentenced to life until death, was acquitted by Gujarat high court.
In 2018, Kodnani had brought union home minister Amit Shah in the witness box during final hearing to prove her alibi that when riots broke out, she was not present at the scene of crime. She argued in the court on that particular day, she was at Gujarat Assembly, then moved to Sola Civil hospital, her maternity home in Asarwa, civil hospital in Asarwa and then went home.
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