Ahmedabad, July 28: Braving the heavy overnight rains in the city, a large number of victims and witnesses of last year's post-Godhra communal riots today turned up to depose before Justice (Retd) G T Nanavati and Justice (Retd) K G Shah of the two-man commission, probing the violence, that began its second phase of recording depositions in Ahmedabad city. Victims and witnesses were mainly from the sensitive Shahpur area of the city, which was rocked by many incidents of stabbing and arson last year. The first victim to depose before the commission was Rashida Pathan, who alleged that her husband Yusuf had succumbed to the injuries inflicted on him by police, who picked him up from his house at midnight of march one. "My husband was taken away by police from the house despite our repeated pleading that he is no way involved in any kind of violence", Rashida told the panel.
Later, she said, "A neighbour told us a man was lying on the road near our house. When we went there, we found it was my husband. He died the next day due to severe head injuries."

Meanwhile, at least three persons from majority community said that they saw "large mobs of muslims, who were mostly grouped for violence" after hearing provocative speeches on a public address system from a mosque in their area".

Bureau Report