Ahmedabad

Controversial NGO operator Medha Patkar, who heads foreign funded NGO Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), was cross examined before a local court in connection with the alleged 2002 Sabarmati Ashram assault case against her.

Patkar faced questions related to the case of March 2002, when a mob had thronged Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram where a so called peace meeting by left-leaning NGOswas on after the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.

During the hour-long cross examination by advocate Vijay Sharma of accused Amit Thaker, the then BJP Youth wing chief, Patkar was asked questions like the place where she sat when the mob had entered.

Patkar was also asked about the place from where the mob had entered and attacked her, along with other people attending the peace meeting.

Further cross examination is scheduled for March 17 before metropolitan court Judge A S Desai.

On March 7, 2002, Patkar and other rights activists had called a peace meeting at Sabarmati Ashram when a mob vandalised the place and allegedly assaulted Patkar.

After the incident, an FIR was lodged against Thaker, BJP corporator Amit Shah, president of city based non-governmental organization National Council for Civil Liberties V K Saxena along with a group of BJP workers and also a Congress leader Rohit Patel.

© With inputs from PTI