Ahmedabad: The special investigation team
(SIT) probing some of the 2002 riot cases has informed the
court that there was not enough evidence against eight persons
including two police officers, whom some of the victims had
demanded to be included as accused in the Gulburg case.
In a reply to the application by some of the victims
in the designated court of Judge B U Joshi yesterday, SIT said
that eight persons could not be made accused as either there
was no evidence against them, or witnesses` statement were
contradictory.
The application by the victims made last month had
demanded that retired police officer M K Tandon, who was joint
commissioner of police in 2002, the then police inspector of
Meghaninagar police station N D Parmar and six others be made
accused.
The Supreme Court appointed-SIT told the court that it
has, however, recommended departmental inquiry against Tandon,
as it was felt by the agency that there was dereliction of
duty on part of the officer during the riots in Gulburg
society where 69 people including former MP Ehsan Jaffery were
killed on February 28, 2002.
The other persons named in the application included
former mayor of Ahmedabad Jagroopsinh Rajput, Manish Patel,
Rajesh Mochi (a constable who lives in Gulburg society), Babu
Marwadi, Tinyo Harijan and Mahendra Pukhraj.
A written statement by SIT said that it was difficult
to make a case against the eight persons named in the victims`
application, based on the varying statements of the witnesses.
It said that there was not enough evidence against
Parmar, who was accused of not recording statements properly
and shielding the accused by some riot victims.
SIT further said Harijan had died in 2007, while
Pukhraj and Manish were not identified by the witnesses.
It said Rajput and Mochi had alibis. Rajput`s presence
is marked in city civil court during the time of incident,
while Mochi is shown present on duty at police headquarters in
Shahibaug area of the city.
PTI
