Gujarat: Court acquits 35 in post-Godhra riots cases, slams 'pseudo-secular media and politicians'
Halol, Jun 16: A court at Halol town in Gujarat's Panchmahal district has acquitted all 35 persons in connection with four different post-Godhra 2002 riots in which three people were killed.
In its order of June 12, which was made available on June 15, the court of additional sessions judge Harsh Trivedi also slammed "pseudo-secular media and politicians" for claiming that the riots were planned.
The 35 persons were accused of murder and rioting after violence erupted near Kalol bus stand, Delol village and Derol station area on February 28, 2002, a day after the Sabarmati Express train burning incident at Godhra.
While the prosecution claimed that three persons were killed with deadly weapons and then their bodies burnt with the intention to destroy evidence, the court said it failed to produce evidence against the accused.
There were 52 accused in the cases of which 17 died during the pendency of trial that went on for over 20 years.
According to case papers, the police were informed about three missing persons during cops' visits to relief camps set up in the wake of the riots that broke out in the area.
It was alleged that riots broke out between Hindus and Muslims in Kalol town and two other places. A few days later, the bodies of three missing persons from the minority community were found.
All the 52 accused, booked under charges pertaining to rioting, unlawful assembly and murder, were arrested and sent to sub-jails at Kalol, Halol and Godhra before being released on bail.
A total of 130 witnesses were examined during the trial.
The court said in its judgment that no charge of rioting can sustain against any of the accused persons, and the prosecution even failed to prove recovery and seizure of weapons.
As per the order, it is the duty of the court to see that no innocent persons are implicated along with the guilty because of the tendency of the parties in communal rioting cases to try to falsely implicate as many persons from the opposite community as possible.
"In cases of communal riots cases the police usually prosecute members of both the community. But it is for the court to ascertain in such cases, which of the two versions is correct and the court can not shirk this duty on ground that the police did not ascertain which of the stories was true," the judge observed.
The court also came down on "pseudo-secular media and politicians" for rubbing "salt into the wound of anguished people" shocked at the February 27, 2002, Godhra train burning incident.
"Peace-loving Gujarati people were shocked and anguished by this incident. We have seen that then pseudo-secular media and politicians rubbed salt into the wound of anguished people," it said.
"Report says that sixteen of Gujarat's 24 Districts were engulfed in communal rioting post-Godhra riots. Nowhere mobs were less than 2000,-3000, more. Often they were more than 5,000-10,000 strong. There were spontaneous riots in Gujarat. They were not planned ones, as described by pseudo-secular persons," the court observed.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
