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Trial Judge walks every lane in Naroda Patiya
The Judge hearing the case of 2002 post-Godhra riots in Naroda Patiya walked every lane in the area mentioned in the case papers.
Ahmedabad: The Judge hearing the case of
2002 post-Godhra riots in Naroda Patiya in which 95 people
were killed walked every lane in the area mentioned in
the case papers, as the trial is set to enter the final stage
of arguments.
During her day-long visit, Judge Jyotsna Yagnik talked to some of the riot victims residing in the houses attacked in one of the worst communal riots after the Godhra train attack. Judge Yagnik, who went to each and every lane described in the case papers by the prosecuting agency, also visited one unused well, where it has been alleged by some of the victims that many bodies had been disposed. She was shown the routes the people took on February 28, 2002 to escape the mob that had attacked the locality.
The visit came even as suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt today claimed that the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has not made any efforts to probe into allegations of bodies of the Naroda Patiya riot victims being illegally disposed of in a well in despite specific documents supplied by him. The allegation was made in a letter written by Bhatt to SIT chairman RK Raghavan.
Yagnik was accompanied by Investigating Officer VV Chaudhary (of the prosecuting agency SIT), Special Public Prosecutors Akhil Desai and Gaurang Vyas, lawyers for the victims YB Sheikh and Shamshad Pathan, besides a battery of defence counsels.
The visit was conducted as part of the ongoing trial to enable the Judge, presiding over a Special Court, to ascertain the facts and other details presented by the prosecution.
Sheikh said the visit was under Section 310 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) where a Judge can visit the scene of offence/crime as part of the trial.
"The Judge felt the need to visit the scene of crime as all evidences have been examined and the trial was at stage of final arguments," Sheikh told media persons.
A total of 67 persons, including former Minister Maya Kodnani, are facing trial. Kodnani, the MLA from Naroda, was Minister for Women and Child Development Minister in the BJP Government before being arrested in 2009.
PTI
During her day-long visit, Judge Jyotsna Yagnik talked to some of the riot victims residing in the houses attacked in one of the worst communal riots after the Godhra train attack. Judge Yagnik, who went to each and every lane described in the case papers by the prosecuting agency, also visited one unused well, where it has been alleged by some of the victims that many bodies had been disposed. She was shown the routes the people took on February 28, 2002 to escape the mob that had attacked the locality.
The visit came even as suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt today claimed that the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has not made any efforts to probe into allegations of bodies of the Naroda Patiya riot victims being illegally disposed of in a well in despite specific documents supplied by him. The allegation was made in a letter written by Bhatt to SIT chairman RK Raghavan.
Yagnik was accompanied by Investigating Officer VV Chaudhary (of the prosecuting agency SIT), Special Public Prosecutors Akhil Desai and Gaurang Vyas, lawyers for the victims YB Sheikh and Shamshad Pathan, besides a battery of defence counsels.
The visit was conducted as part of the ongoing trial to enable the Judge, presiding over a Special Court, to ascertain the facts and other details presented by the prosecution.
Sheikh said the visit was under Section 310 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) where a Judge can visit the scene of offence/crime as part of the trial.
"The Judge felt the need to visit the scene of crime as all evidences have been examined and the trial was at stage of final arguments," Sheikh told media persons.
A total of 67 persons, including former Minister Maya Kodnani, are facing trial. Kodnani, the MLA from Naroda, was Minister for Women and Child Development Minister in the BJP Government before being arrested in 2009.
PTI