By IANS,
Gandhinagar : A group of people, arrested and accused in the Gulberg Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots, Tuesday requested a special court trying the case for expeditious completion of the trial.
They also requested Additional Sessions Judge B.J. Dhandha to grant them bail or parole if the trial procedure is likely to be prolonged.
The judge, however, said that the bail can be granted only on merits and there is no question of sympathy in this regard. It said it has to be sympathetic to those who were killed in the massacre.
The judge said the Supreme Court has put a stay on pronouncing judgment in the case and so he cannot do anything. One of the accused then requested the trial court to impress upon the Supreme Court to lift the stay.
The court Tuesday was hearing a petition by some victims and witnesses in the case to direct the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to officially verify the call details of certain people, including Chief Minister Narendra Modi, during 2002 riots.
The group of the accused, who are lodged in jail, made a representation for expediting the proceedings claiming that since they have been in jail for a long time and the trial has not been completed, their families have been suffering.
A total of 66 accused have been undergoing trial in the case. Sixty-nine people, including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri were killed at the Gulberg Society in Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad February 28, 2002. A special trial court, presided over by Dhandha, has been conducting the trial of the case.
The next hearing will be held April 19.