Gujarat riots: Gulberg massacre verdict today

According to the SIT ‘unruly mobs’ had begun torching and vandalising shops and property of the minority community on February 28, 2002.

A trial court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat will pronounce its verdict on Thursday in the 2002 Gulberg society communal riots case relating to the killing of 69 persons, including Member of Parliament Ehsan Jafri, and 31 persons were stated to be missing.

The trial in this case was being monitored by the Supreme Court, which recently gave its nod for pronouncement of the judgment. The apex court at the instance of Citizens for Justice and Peace had appointed a special investigation team headed by former CBI director R.K. Raghavan to conduct the investigation and to file the chargesheet.

This is the second largest communal riots case, other than Naroda Patiya massacre in which 126 persons lost their lives. The trial court in this case gave its verdict on August 29, 2012, convicting 32 accused including a minister in the Gujarat government. While 39 persons were burnt alive, 30 others, including Mr Jafri, went missing. However, after the legal waiting period of seven years, he and the other missing persons were presumed dead, Jafri's 75-year-old widow Zakia has been fighting the case in the hope of getting justice.

According to the SIT “unruly mobs” had begun torching and vandalising shops and property of the minority community on February 28, 2002. Around Gulberg society, a large mob of nearly 22,000 persons had gathered. They broke down a rear cement wall with an explosive substance, breached the gates and attacked two people before heading for Mr Jafri’s bungalow, the prosecution said. In a bid to escape from the mayhem, a large number of residents had taken shelter at Mr Jafri’s bungalow number 19.

“The mob first attacked a disabled person Anwar sitting outside the bungalow. They then went inside the bungalow, killing 69 people. There is direct evidence of injured persons and eyewitnesses, who have categorically identified the assailants and described how the carnage took place. There is evidence on record that Mr. Jafri was dragged by some persons, but after that there is no evidence.”

The Zakia Jafri Case which relates to 300 incidents all over Gujarat is at the pre prosecution stage after the SIT gave a clean chit to Mr. Narendra Modi and 61 others of orchestrating the communal riots. The SIT’s closure report has been accepted by the trial court and appeal against this order is pending in the Gujarat High Court.

(This story originally appeared in the deccan Chronicle as may the case be)