Verdict on Gulberg Society massacre likely on Thursday
Special court judge P.B. Desai will deliver the verdict in the Gujarat riots case over eight months after the trial concluded on 22 September 2015
Ahmedabad: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Thursday in connection with the 2002 post-Godhra riots case of Gulberg Society in which 69 persons, including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri were killed. Special court judge P.B. Desai will deliver the judgement over eight months after the trial concluded on 22 September 2015.
The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the case, had directed the SIT court to give its verdict by 31 May. There are 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, of which nine are behind bars for the last 14 years, while others are out on bail. One of the accused, Bipin Patel is a sitting BJP corporator from Asarva. He was also the corporator in 2002 when the massacre happened and won the election for fourth consecutive term last year.
Last week, the court had turned down pleas moved by two accused—Narayan Tank and Babu Rathod—to conduct narco analysis and brain mapping tests on them to prove their innocence. The court maintained that it was not required when the verdict was imminent.
During the trial, the riot victim’s lawyer had argued that the massacre was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused to kill minority community members residing in Gulberg Society. The defence had refuted the conspiracy theory of prosecution and claimed that the mob resorted to violence only after slain Congress MP Eshan Jafri fired several rounds on them.
The Gulberg Society case is one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court appointed SIT. The incident had taken place a day after S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt near Godhra train station, where in 58 “karsevaks” were killed.
Catch all the Politics News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
MoreLess
First Published:1 Jun 2016, 04:48 PM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High