By RINA,
New Delhi: Gujarat chief minister has been ordered by the Supreme Court to establish six special fast track courts. Revoking seven year old stay order on trial, Indian Supreme Court today directed Modi government to establish six special fast-track courts in the state to look into cases related with 2002 riot, including ten major cases marked earlier. These courts will be established in six districts of the state, Ahmadabad, Anand, Gulbarga, Godhara, Mehsana and Sabarkantha.
The directive carries special significance considering that Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice Mukand Sharma have discharged the petition filed by National Human Rights Commission and others seeking transfer of cases outside the state. The court has explicitly ruled that all these cases will be heard within the state.
With instruction to submit quarterly progress report, Supreme Court also directed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to keep an eye on progress of these cases. By the same token, the court ordered Gujarat government to provide security to witnesses and bear all expenses if a witness belongs to some other state. As per court directive, special courts will hear on daily basis.
Meanwhile, attention is drawn towards former police commissioner P. C. Pandey’s two letters written during 2002 riots. First letter was written to Gujarat D. G. P. on April 19, 2002 complaining that erstwhile minister of the state Bharat Baraut was inciting mobs to perpetrate riot. Three days later, when Bajrang Dal goons exceeded all limits, he wrote to additional chief secretary Ashok Narain on April 22. Both letters were dumped by Narendera Modi government while more than thousand Muslims of the state were being forced to face massacre.
Modi government’s role in 2002 riot was more distinctly marked today when SIT filed fresh charge-sheet against former minister Maya Kodnani and VHP leader Jai Deep Patel under section 120-B (criminal planning), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 397, 395 (looting) and 147, 143 (inciting riot) of IPC. SIT has been entrusted investigation into role of 64 senior politicians and bureaucrats, including VHP leader Parveen Togaruya, Narendera Modi and his eight cabinet colleagues, in the riot.
A crucial hearing on Modi’s role will start next week. Reacting to Modi rejoinder to Supreme Court order to inquire into his role that all this was plotted by Congress Party, a senior Supreme Court attorney Prashant Bhushan filed petition against him alleging that the chief minister had disgraced the court. The bench headed by K. G. Balakrishnan has decided to hear the plea next week.