Kodnani didn't visit Naroda Gam riots site: Husband to court

Ahmedabad: Former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, an accused in the Naroda Gam riots case, did not visit the site of violence on February 28, 2002, her husband Surendra Kodnani told a special court here.

Appearing as a defence witness yesterday, Kodnani told special judge P B Desai that his wife, a gynaecologist, who was also the Women and Child Development Minister in the BJP government, had gone to the state assembly to attend a session on February 28 morning.

"From there, she went to Sola Civil Hospital, where the bodies of Godhra train burning victims were brought," he said.

"Thereafter, Maya went to her hospital- Shivam Maternity and Surgical Nursing Home- to attend to a patient named Ilaben and help her deliver the baby as her fellow doctor was not free," he told the court.

Kodnani also produced the birth certificate of the boy born at her hospital and countered the prosecution's claim that the hospital was run full time by Dr Dhaval Shah.

He told the court that Dr Shah was a working partner in the clinic, who took care of the hospital as Maya was busy being a legislator.

"From her hospital, located in Saijpur, she headed home to Shahibaug in the evening and stayed there for the rest of the time," he said.

Kodnani will be further examined on Monday.

Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major riots cases investigated by the SIT. Eleven persons belonging to the minority community were killed in Naroda Gam on February 28 in 2002 riots during a bandh call given to protest the Godhra train burning incident.

Eighty two people, including Maya Kodnani, are facing trial in the case. The Supreme Court had in September last year given the special court six months time to conclude the trial.