AHMEDABAD: Gujarat’s Panchmahal district’s Halol town court has acquitted 22 people in a 2002 post-Godhra communal riots case due to lack of evidence, in which they were accused of killing 17 members of a minority community, including two children. The prosecution stated that on February 28, 2002 the victims were killed and their bodies were disposed of by burning to conceal any potential evidence.
Defense lawyer Gopalsinh Solanki said, “The court of Additional Sessions Judge Harsh Trivedi on Tuesday acquitted all the 22 accused, eight of whom died during the pendency of the case,” “The court acquitted all the accused in the case of rioting and murder of 17 members of a minority community, including two children, in Delol village of the district for want of evidence,” He added
Communal riots had broken out in different parts of the state a day after a train bogie of the Sabarmati Express was torched by a mob near Godhra town in Panchmahal district on February 27, 2002, killing 59 passengers, most of them ‘karsevaks’ returning from Ayodhya.
An FIR was lodged under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to murder and rioting after the violence in Delol village. Another police inspector lodged a case afresh nearly two years after the incident and arrested 22 people for their alleged involvement in the riots.
Defense lawyer Solanki said, “The prosecution was unable to gather enough evidence against the accused persons, witnesses turned hostile, and bodies of the victims were never found.” Police recovered bones, but they were charred so much that they could not be identified.”
‘Witness turned hostile, bodies never found’
Defense lawyer Solanki said, “The prosecution was unable to gather enough evidence against the accused persons, witnesses turned hostile, and bodies of the victims were never found.” Police recovered bones, but they were charred so much that they could not be identified.”