JOIN USThe application was made before Special Judge B J Dhandha by the victims through their advocate S M Vohra. The court will hear the application on May 26. In the application, the victims have accused Pande who was the Ahmedabad city police commissioner at time of the riots, and other police officers, of deliberate dereliction of duty which led to the killing of 69 persons including ex-MP Ehsan Jaffery on February 28, 2002.
The victims said Pande, who after retirement was appointed chairman of Police Housing Board, deliberately did not send additional forces to Gulburg society and ignored the seriousness of the situation. They further alleged that though Pande had visited the society around 10.30 hrs on the day of the incident and assured Jaffery of providing adequate security, he sat in his office from 11.00 hrs to 16.00 hrs till the rioters finished their job.
The victims have demanded that Pande be made an accused in the case and be booked for deliberate dereliction of duty. The other police officers who have been named with Pande include P B Gondia, the then DCP Zone IV and S S Chudasama, who was ACP (crime branch) in February 2002, and former Joint Commissioner of Police M K Tandon. The victims have alleged that though Gondia was DCP in charge of the Meghaninagar area where the Gulburg society was located, he did nothing to stop the mob from acting. Gondia, an IPS officer, is presently posted as civil defence joint director.