Gulberg verdict: 36 acquitted, 11 guilty of murder, 13 of lesser crime

Ahmedabad

A special SIT court here today convicted 24 of the 66 accused including a VHP leader in the 2002 post-Godhra Gulberg society massacre, which left 69 people including former Congress MP Eshan Jafri dead.

Special Court Judge P B Desai also acquitted 36 others including sitting BJP corporator Bipin Patel and also dropped the conspiracy charge (120 B) against all the accused.

Out of the 66 accused, six had died during the trial.

Of the 24 convicted today, 11 have been charged with murder, while other 13 have been convicted for lesser offences.

The court said that there is no evidence of criminal conspiracy in the case, while dropping section 120 B of the IPC.

The quantum of sentence for those convicted in the case will be delivered on June 6.

The 24 convicted includes VHP leader Atul Vaidya.

Congress corporator Meghsinh Chaudhari and K G Erda, then police inspector of the area under which the Gulberg Society was located, are among those acquitted.

The Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the case, had directed the SIT court to give its verdict by May 31.

Of the 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, nine are already behind bars, while others are out on bail.

Bipin Patel, who is acquitted in the case, is a sitting BJP corporator from Asarva seat. He was also corporator in 2002 when the massacre happened and won the election for fourth consecutive term last year.

During the trial, riots victim’s lawyer had argued that the massacre was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused to kill minority community members of the 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 at 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 on February 27, 2002 during which 58 ‘karsevaks’ were killed.

Convicted:

Kailash Dhobi, Yogendrasinh alias Lalo Mohansinh Shekhawat, Jayeshkumar alias Gabbar Madanlal Jingar, Krushnakumar alias Krushna Munnalal, Jayeshkumar Ramjibhai Parmar, Raju alias Mamo Kaniyo, Naran Sitaram Tank, Lakhansingh alias Lakhiyo, Bharat alias Bharat Taili balodia, Bhart Lakshmansinh Gauda, Dilip Prbhudas Sharma, Babubhai Manjibhai Pattani, Mangilal Dhupchand Jain, Dilip alias Kalu Chaturbhai, Sandip alias Sonu, Mukesh Pukhraj Sankhla, Ambesh Kantilal Jingar, Prakash alias Kali Khengarji Padhiyar, Manish Prabhulal Jain, Dharmesh Prahladbhai Shukla, Kapil Devnarayan alias Munnabhai Mishra, Atul Indravadan Vaidya, Babubhai Hastimal Rathod, Surendrasinh alias Vakil Digvijaysinh Chauhan.

Zakia’s opinion is her own, I am not dissatisfied with verdict- survivor’s Counsel S M Vora

Ahmedabad

Even though Zakia Jafri, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was one of the 69 people killed by mob in Gulberg society massacre on February 2002 a day after train burning incident in Godhara, today expressed dissatisfaction over the SIT inquiry of the case and termed the verdict of the special court as ‘half justice’ of sorts,Advocate SM Vora, representing the survivors of Gulberg massacre, said he was satisfied with the decision.

Mr. Vora, told reporters that Zakia’s reaction to the verdict was her own. ‘So far I am concerned I am satisfied with the decision. The court has held 24 guilty of whom 11 were under section 302 pertaining to murder and 13 others under lesser graver charges,’ he said.

‘Though we are contemplating to request the court to reconsider the judgment and give the 13 with lesser charges harsher punishment yet I can’t say that I am dissatisfied with the verdict.’

Earlier, reacting to the court verdict on Gulberg society case today Mrs Jafri who had taken up the matter to the apex court which led to the formation of the SIT in 2009, told newsmen after the special court verdict that the SIT has seemingly not done the inquiry properly.

‘ More than half of them have been acquitted which shows that the verdict and inquiry was not up to mark. It is like half justice. I fought for 15 days and it seems now that my work is yet far from over. I will have to continue my legal battle (approaching the higher court again) as well,’ She said.

The special SIT court judge P B Desai today acquitted 36 accused while held 24 guilty in his verdict today. Six of the accused had died in the course of trial.

– With inputs from agency