Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Maya Kodnani was acquitted in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, in which 97 Muslims were killed following the Godhra riots, by the Gujarat High Court on Friday. Earlier, Kodnani had been sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment. However, the High court upheld the conviction of Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, who had also moved the court challenging the previous ruling. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment until death.
A Division Bench of Justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehiya pronounced the verdict. The Bench said charges against Kodnani could not be established.
Last August after the hearing concluded, a Division Bench of justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehiya had reserved its order in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case. In August 2012, a special court for special investigation (SIT) cases had sentenced 32 people, including Kodnani, to life imprisonment. The trial court had also acquitted 29 others accused for want of evidence. While the convicts had challenged the lower court's order in the high court, the SIT had appealed against the acquittal of 29 people.
Around 58 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was allegedly torched at the Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002. Following the incident, on February 28, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal had declared a Gujarat Bandh. A total of 97 people were killed by rioters in Ahmedabad's Naroda Patiya area on this day.
Here are the top ten developments around the Gujarat High Court's 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case verdict given today:
1) Maya Kodnani acquitted in 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case: The Gujarat High Court acquitted former BJP minister Maya Kodnani in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, in which 97 Muslims were killed following the Godhra riots. Kodnani had been sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment.
Kodnani had been currently out on bail. In 2012, the trial court had held that she was the mastermind of the violence in Naroda area.
2) Babu Bajrangi's sentence upheld: Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi's sentence in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case was upheld by the Gujarat High Court. Bajrangi had also moved the court challenging the previous ruling. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment until death.
3) Gujarat High Court acquits 17 out of 32 accused in 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case: Out of the 32 convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, the Gujarat High court on Friday acquitted 17 people, including Maya Kodnani, reported news agency ANI. The convictions of 12 were upheld by the court, including for Babu Bajrangi, the agency added. The verdict for two others was awaited at the time of reporting. One of the accused is dead.
2002 Gujarat riots case (Naroda Patiya): Out of the 32 convicts in the case, Gujarat High court acquitted 17 people including Maya Kodnani; conviction of 12 was upheld, verdict on 2 others awaited, 1 accused is dead.
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2018
4) 'Contradictory statements about Maya Kodnani's presence at Naroda Gam': The special public prosecutor in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, Prashant Desai, told news agencies that all 12 convicts have been awarded 21 years of imprisonment without remission. He added that 11 witnesses gave different statements on Maya Kodnani's presence at the Naroda Gam location and that there were contradictions.
All 12 convicts have been awarded 21 years of imprisonment without remission. 11 witnesses gave different statements on Maya Kodnani's presence at the location but there were contradictions: Prashant Desai, Special Public Prosecutor on 2002 #NarodaPatiyaCase pic.twitter.com/3U5cBcRYtG
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2018
Kodnani had said that on the day of the Naroda Gam riot near Ahmedabad, she had visited the Sola Civil Hospital after attending the Legislative Assembly and was not present at the spot where the violence took place. Amit Shah, then an MLA, was also present at Sola Civil Hospital where bodies of the karsevaks killed in the Sabarmati Train burning incident were brought from Godhra. Shah's testimony was meant to help prove her 'alibi' that she was present elsewhere when the crime took place, she had said. Kodnani, who was an MLA in 2002, was made a junior minister in Chief Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2007.
In August 2012, a special court for SIT cases had sentenced 32 people, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, to life imprisonment. Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment. The other high-profile accused, former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, was given life imprisonment until death.
While seven accused had been given enhanced life imprisonment of 21 years, which they were to serve after undergoing 10 years' imprisonment under IPC section 326 (causing grievous hurt), the remaining accused had been given simple life imprisonment (14 years). The trial court had also acquitted 29 others accused for lack of evidence. While the convicts had challenged the lower court's order in the high court, the SIT appealed against the acquittal of 29 people.
A number of high court judges, including justices Akil Kureshi, M R Shah, K S Jhaveri, G B Shah, Sonia Gokani, and R H Shukla, had recused themselves from the case during the hearing on appeals.
10) Naroda Patiya riot left 97 dead: The Naroda Patiya riot was one of the worst incidents that followed the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, in which 59 kar sevaks were killed. Around 58 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was allegedly torched at the Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002. Following the incident, on February 28, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal had declared a Gujarat Bandh. A total of 97 people were killed by rioters in Ahmedabad's Naroda Patiya area on this day.
Naroda Gam was one of the nine major 2002 communal riot cases that was investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team.
With agency inputs