By Staff Correspondent, TwoCircles.net,
Ahmedabad: After nearly ten years of wait, on Wednesday, finally there was some sign of justice to the victims of 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat. A Special court has convicted 31 of the 73 accused in the 2002 post-Godhra pogrom in which 33 Muslims were burnt alive by the rioting mob in the Sardarpura town of Vijapur taluk in Gujarat.
Importantly, this would be the first of anti-Muslim communal riot cases, probed by the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigative Team (SIT), which has seen pronouncement of judicial verdict, thereby paving the way for justice to the victims.
A survivor of the 2002 Gujarat riots breaks down while narrating her story at a press conference in Mumbai. [Photo Courtesy: The Hindu]
It is likely that the principal District and Session Judge S C Srivastava will pronounce the quantum of punishment after hearing the convicts.
The court, while charging 31 convicts with murder, attempt to murder, rioting and other sections of IPC, dropped the charges of criminal conspiracy against them.
Even though the prosecution had sought to charge 73 accused, the court acquitted 42. Out of these 42, the court freed 31, giving them the benefit of doubt. But it asked them to submit the solvency bond 25, 000 each, asking them not to go anywhere outside the country without permission from the court. On the other hand, the court also discharged the rest 11 due to lack of evidence.
In the aftermath of the burning of a coach in Sabarmati express in which 59 karsewaks were killed on February 27 2002, anti-Muslim pogrom started across Gujarat and Sardarpura town in Vijapur taluka was also hit by the state sponsored ethnic cleansing of Muslims.
Reportedly, on the nights of February 28 and March, 2002, a strong rioting mob had attacked ‘Sheikh Vaas’, a minority populated area of Sardarpura. When the Muslims of the areas fled and hid themselves in one Ibrahim Sheikh’s house, the rioting mob burnt the entire house after pouring petrol, in which 33 persons were burnt alive including 22 women.
Police arrested 76 accused in the Sardarpura case, out of which finally, the court had framed charges against 73 in June 2009.
Link:
http://www.cjponline.org/gujaratTrials/sardarpura/sardarpura.htm