Correction – This is not the first conviction in a riots case tried in Gujarat. In Nov 2003 ?Ghodasar case had 15 convictions, 11 Dec 2005 in Anjanwa case 11 life tems were handed.
Who says there is no hope for?justice in Gujarat for the 2002 riot affected ?
The PTI reports:
Eight persons were sentenced to life while three others were awarded three years imprisonment by a Godhra sessions court in the 2002 Eral massacre case that left seven people dead in the aftermath of the Godhra riots. However, 29 people were acquitted in the case. The massacre took place on March 3, 2002 when assailants targeted villages, including Eral in the interior of Panchmahal district in Central Gujarat following the Godhra riots.
The convictions in Godhra come in the wake of a raging debate on the 2002 riots in light of a hyped up television sting by a dubious outfit?in Tehelka.
In criticising this blog some muslim brethren have lamented the inordinate delay in justice delivery.
Offstumped puts the speed of justice delivery into perspective here.
?The first convictions in the 1993 Mumbai Blasts came this year afer nearly 14 years.
As far as memory serves the first convictions in the 1984 anti-sikh riots (Offstumped would like to be corrected if anyone can point to convictions in the 1984 riots) came in 1997, after a full 13 years. Also there were no life sentences, in fact the maximum sentence handed in this first case was just 5 years.
The Bhagalpur riots which saw about 1100 to 1800 deaths in 1989, mostly muslim, had the first convictions only in 2007?after a full 18 years.
The relative speed of convictions in Gujarat should come as no surprise for Chief Minister Narendra Modi has a couple of innovations to his credit in the form of e-courts and evening courts.
Offstumped Bottomline: By handing the first convictions for the 2002 riot affected, the Godhra Sessions Court has answered those who were doubting the quality and speed of justice delivery in Gujarat. If the BJP Government took flak for “alleged” denial of justice, by the same token it deserves credit for “actual” delivery of justice.
Filed under: Uncategorized
One case relating to the Gujarat riots has been handed over to the CBI. Details of the case are as under:
Limkheda Police Station (District-Dahod) Crime Register No. 59/2002, investigated by local police and tried by JMFC, Limkheda and closed accepting the `A` final report, was handed over to CBI and registered as case No.R.C.1/S/2004-Mum in the CBI SCB on 1.1.2004 under orders dated 16.12.2003 of the Hon`ble Supreme Court of India in Criminal Writ Petition No. 118/2003 and Criminal Misc. Petition No. 8850/2003. Investigation of the case has already been concluded and charge-sheet has been filed by the CBI on 19.4.2004. The case is pending trial.
Best Bakery case: 9 get life term
Press Trust of India
New Delhi, February 24, 2006
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1634340,001301170000.htm
Nine of the seventeen people accused in the infamous Best Bakery case have been convicted by a Mumbai sessions court. The remaining eight accused were acquitted.
In one of the worst post-Godhra massacres in Gujarat, 14 people had been burnt alive in Vadodara on March 1, 2002 when a mob torched the bakery, owned by a Muslim family.
High security prevailed in and around the court room when all the 17 accused were brought to the court.
There were altogether 21 accused, of which 17 were facing the trial while four are still absconding.
The case was first tried in a fast track court in Vadodara which had acquitted all the accused on July 27, 2003.
One of the members of the family, Zahira Sheikh, who had named the accused in her police statement, retracted her version in the Vadodara court following which all the 21 accused were acquitted.
National Human Rights Commission filed a special Leave Petition in Supreme Court requesting a retrial outside Gujarat.
Supreme Court on April 12, 2004 had ordered retrial in Mumbai and a special Judge Abhay Tipsay was appointed to hear the case. He framed charges against accused on September 22 last year.
In Mumbai court, Zahira and her two brothers turned hostile and did not support the prosecution case saying that they did not see the mob setting the bakery on fire.
However, Zahira’s sister-in-law Yasmin supported the prosecution, saying that Zahira and her family were present at the bakery when the mob set fire to the bakery.
Midway through the trial, Zahira filed an affidavit in Gujarat court alleging that she was forced to give police statement by social workers Teesta Setalvad and Raez Khan.
The *State Government of Gujarat* has informed that an expenditure of **** Rs. 17.50 crores ****has been incurred for grant of death relief to the kin of 1168 victims who lost their lives during the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat.
Further, an amount of Rs. 2.21 crores was spent for grant of injury assistance in 2,548 cases.
The *State Government* has also spent Rs. ***** 184.73 crores **** towards other relief/ rehabilitation measures like restoration of household kits, housing, earning assets, assistant for small/large business, foodgrains distribution, rehabilitation of women and children, Widow Homes, health and sanitation, etc.
Source: http://164.100.24.208/lsq14/quest.asp?qref=6026
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3288
ANSWERED ON 21.12.2004
POST GODHRA VIOLENCE
__________________
The Prime Minister sanctioned a Rs. 150 crore Package for the rehabilitation of the riot victims in Gujarat for reconstruction and repair of damaged houses and shops, to provide assistance to the self-employed categories who lost their earning assets, financial support for recommencing business, commercial and industrial activities, revival of educational, medical and other institutions in the affected areas and specific programmes to benefit widows and children etc.
******* A sum of Rs. 149.22 crores has been *released* to the State Government and the State Government has informed that an amount of *Rs. 131.94 crores has been spent so far*. ( Year 2004)
http://164.100.24.208/lsq14/quest.asp?qref=344
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1774
ANSWERED ON 20.07.2004
RIOTS IN GUJARAT
1774. SHRI P. KARUNAKARAN
I think your posts are being lifted by the above Nagesh/intellibriefs without quoting:
http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2007/10/justice-in-gujarat.html
Thanks Yossarin, but I guess you can only show facts to people who wants to see them in first place. But the Modi-hater brigade (a.k.a. the secular progressives) has no interest in seeing them. And that includes the Eng. media, the NHRCommision, The Eminent Judiciary and others.
Kudos to you – keep up the good work.
jujung
Thnaks for pointing . Added the link .
Great work Yossarin, but I agree with Sujoy above.
In last week’s NDTV “Big Fight”, Vikram Chandra had a formidable line up of Tehelka woman Harinder Baweja, Anti-Modi activists Teesta Setalvad and Harsh Mander, Supreme Court lady Kamini Jaiswal all against a single Mr. BP Singhal (why couldnt they find someone less obtrusive from the BJP). Singhal kept shouting about the police action which was taken on Day 1 of the riots and the statistics thereof. But not a single person considered that point in their rantings and went on and on with their own POVs. Nobody bothered to take the fact into account or reply to it or even counter it! It was simply drowned out in the shouting!
NDTV is a just a milder version of Tehelka ..
“If the BJP Government took flak for “alleged” denial of justice, by the same token it deserves credit for “actual” delivery of justice.”
Silly Yossarin. You still think this is about justice?
The same guys who want Afzal pardoned, even with proof, want Modi persecuted, even without proof. Can’t have an unapologetic self-claimed Hindu leader running a govt – that would be a shame in our type of secularism. They’ll be at it until Modi prostrates and apologies – to them, of course, or until Modi is defeated sooner or later and then they can take credit. They’d win, eventually. It’s nice little circular game.
Death is what these rapists and murderers deserved.
RS
Again a new charge — RAPISTS . Are you gone mad ?
Nagesh,
Read newspapers or watch TV news carefully next time.
RS ,
Show me some instances of RAPES . Where are Rape Victims ?
You mean this graphic description of Arundathy Roy mentioned in the article(Who’s She When She’s at Home?– Outlook, May 6) ?
“Last night a friend from Baroda called. Weeping. It took her fifteen minutes to tell me what the matter was. It wasn’t very complicated. Only that Sayeeda, a friend of hers, had been caught by a mob. Only that her stomach had been ripped open and stuffed with burning rags. Only that after she died, someone carved ‘OM’ on her forehead”
TRUTH
Shocked by this despicable “incident”, BALBIR PUNJ (Member of Parliament) got in touch with the Gujarat government. The police investigations revealed that no such case, involving someone called Sayeeda, had been reported either in urban or rural Baroda.
READ CAREFULLY — Subsequently, the police sought Roy’s help to identify the victim and seek access to witnesses who could lead them to those guilty of this crime. But the police got no cooperation. Instead, Roy, through her lawyer, replied that the police had no power to issue summons. Why is she hedging behind technical excuses?
________________
RAPES
READ THUS “Gujarat : Truth about atrocities on Women”
Title: Gujarat : Truth about atrocities on Women
Author: Dr. Nishigandha Mogal
Publication: Vivek (in Marathi) – This is English Translation
Date: July 8, 2002
URL: NO URL
Feature Text:
On 27th February, 2002, S-6 coach full of Ramsevaks was attacked and completely burnt out in which 59 Ramsevaks were charred to death. Since that time, for the last 2-1/2 months, incidents of violence have been taking place in Ahmedabad. To observe the situation there, a deputation consisting of representatives of Akhil Bharatiya Samanvaya Samiti (All-India Women Coordination Committee), Parivartan Mahila Sanstha
(Transformation of Women Institute) and Asmita Manch (Self-respect Forum) visited Ahmedabad on 6th and 7th May. It contained Ms Meenatai Bhat, Ms Ranjana Karandikar of All-India Women Coordination Committee, Dr Nishigandha Mogal President of Transformation of Women Institute and member Prajnya Kulkarni as well as Ms Shailaja Andhare of Self-Respect Forum.
Whenever there is a violence anywhere in the world, women are the first the victims. As her womanhood is ravaged, her family life also get shattered. After Godhra carnage, a number of news of Hindu atrocities and rapes on Muslim women were being published again and again. Therefore, we decided to visit the camp in Daryakhan Ghumat – the largest camp for Muslims and meet the Muslim women there. Gujarat Education Minister, Anandiben Patel helped us to go to the camp in Police van. We talked to the women in general but we had also personal talk with ten women and one man. The details of the interviews are as follows:
1. Sahimbanu, Shahapur, Near Shankarbhavan
On 23rd April, People of Vaghari Samaj killed one woman, one man and a boy, and burnt a Masjid as well as houses. There were no atrocities or rapes on women.
2. Satijabibi Mohammed Munwar – Chamanpur
On 28th, at about 9 o’clock, people came with sticks and bamboos in their hands. We all went to the house (wada) of Jafrisaheb. Fierce stone-throwing was resorted. Shops were broken. Three bullock carts full of people had come there.
Q. Had they any weapons in their hands?
A. No, they had sticks in their hands. They did not have guns or swords .
Q. Did the attackers put their hands one you or other women?
A. One lady exclaimed, “Madam, how could they put their hands on? They could not come in the Wada. The walls of the Wada were tall. Stones and burning petrol cloth balls were being thrown in.”
Satijabibi – The rioters forced their entry inside. Ten-twelve persons danced with taking the girls on their shoulders, raped them collectively, cut them all in pieces, burnt them and also killed all their relatives and cut them also in pieces and burnt the pieces.
Q. Will you recognize these people?
A. How can I? They had cloths tied on their faces”
Q. Please call at least one relative of the girls. We want to console them. We will also file complaint in the Police Station.
A. Not a single relative was left alive.
We asked, “How is it possible?”
No answer was given.
3. Appa – Rioters came, burned the houses and killed many people.
Q. How did they kill? By guns?
A. No, by sticks.
Q. Did they put their hands on you or any other woman in your Mophalla? Were the women raped?
A. No. No rapes were made.
4. Noorjehan Pathan, Municipal quarter, Room No.1, Mendikua – Age 30.
Intense stone-throwing was resorted to. Houses were burnt. They had come with sticks-bamboos and were giving slogans “Jai Shriram”. They pulled the clothes of women.
Q. Did they put their hands on you?
A. No.
Q. Was any woman raped?
A. No. No such bad actions (Dushkritya) were committed.
5. Jayadabanu, Shahpur, Alam Ka Khidki – Stone throwing was resorted. Houses burnt.
Q. Any atrocity or rape was committed on any woman?
A. No.
6. Zeenatbibi Kalikhana, Naroda Area.
My daughter-in-law was burnt, I was beaten with stick. My grand daughter was also knifed.
Q. Where is your daughter-in-law? Was she admitted in the Hospital?
A. No. She has gone out now.
7. Kulasumabibi Kalubhai, staying behind the Chotelal Dharmashala outside Shahapur Darwaza.
On 28th February, there was worship and chanting in the Chowk. In the morning, houses were attacked. People threw stones and bricks. Burnt houses. Vaghari Sankaria and his two sons came with sticks. Seeing women, started talking dirty. Somebody had a sword in his hand. They had no opportunity to rape the women.
8. Saaverabibi, Nagori Estate.
On 28th February, thousands of people invaded our locality. They went on rampage and stones. Burnt the Darga. No beating was done and they did not behave badly with women in any way.
9. Gaffar Haji Suleman, Behind Shahapur Barfiwala Hall.
Sisters, there was immense loss to the houses. But women are completely safe.
10. Ayeshabanu, Sabarmati Jawahar Chowk.
Attackers came in large number in the early morning in our locality. They had sticks in their hands. They had no sword or guns. They threw stones, and resorted to arson.
Q. Did they beat women? Did they behave badly with them?
A. No. No atrocities of any kind were committed on women.
11. Shahanaaz Banu, Aslambhai Railway colony.
We asked, “Is there anything special to be said about any atrocities on Women?” We got the reply, “ Women are completely safe”.
Daryakhan Ghumat camp was a large Muslim camp. About 7,000 people from different places had come there and there were about 2,000 women among them. All the five members of our delegation interviewed a number of women separately. Not a single one complained of rape or serious atrocity. They denied it even after cross-questioning them two three times.
Ms Nafisa Hussain of National Women Commission had gone to the Shaha-alam Camp. She was accompanied by an activist from Ahmedabad – Jyoti Chouthaiwale. We discussed her with this point. She also told that not a single Muslim woman complained of rape or atrocity on women to Nafisaji.
Satijabibi Mohammed Munwar of Chamanpura was the only who was talking of mass rape on Muslim girls, of cutting them into pieces and burning them afterwards. From her way of narration, we felt strongly that it was all a fake story she was feeding us. At the same time, other women were discussing among themselves “Why she is describing which did not at all happen?” On doubting her statement, we had expressed our desire to meet the relatives of the girls. She told us that all the relatives were also cut to pieces and burnt out. Nobody could be saved.
All this cock and bull story cannot be believed. Because in the first place, in the rampage of looting and fight, it is impossible to commit a rape. Secondly, nor it is possible among all this thick of fight, to find out the relatives i.e., fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and kill all them, leave alone cutting them to pieces and burning.
At the same time, she started to tell a story about atrocity on a pregnant woman.
Two-three other women questioned her “Why are you telling a lie?” This apparently meant that to denounce Gujarat Government, the largest party in the Central Government i.e., BJP, and all Hindu organisations, a few women were taught to parrot such things and the same women were telling the same story before everybody again and again. The most surprising thing is all the small and big guns of media are repeating these stories and trying to change the facts without examining the truth of what was told to them. Looking at all these things, we realised that No Hindu raped any Muslim woman. But all this is an irrefutable evidence of the conspiracy hatched to calumnise Hindus.
After discussions and talk with a number of people from cross section of the society, following points came to light :
During the 2-1/2 months, a number of important institutes /commissions visited here. Among them are, Human Rights Commission, National Women Commission, Human Rights Watch etc. Similarly, great personalities like Sonia Gandhi, Shabana Azmi, Mallika Sarabhai also visited. But the most painful point is none of them went to meet the members of the families of victims of Godhra Carnage. Nor anyone of them went to the Hindu refugee camps. Did not talk a word about them. Therefore, all the reports given so far, are one sided and concerning for Muslims only and as such incomplete.
We also came to know that Government officers or Police cannot enter many Muslim localities and hence there is no control on their activities. Many people of ‘Simi’ from other states come here and train the local Muslims. Recently, some 12 people rioters were arrested and all of them were from Bihar. This is a strong evidence of this fact.
It is also necessary to give protection to the localities which are hit hard due to riots. In the police firing both Hindus and Muslims are killed. All the bodies of killed Hindus are registered and consigned to flames. But all bodies of the killed Muslims are not registered. Only some are registered. Others just vanish (i.e. are disposed secretly) and it is suspected that on the names of such bodies, people from outside are brought in here and made residents.
In all there 77 refugee camps out of which 30 are of Hindus.
We submitted our statement to the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi and also to
Home Minister, Govardhan Zapadia and held discussions with them. The Health Minister of Gujarat told us that so many women are admitted or treated in Hospitals, but not a single one has complained of rape on her. Even if anybody makes a simple complaint, we shall immediately file an FIR for it.
Considering all the facts which were revealed to us, we make the following demands:
Godhra carnage is the cause of this situation. An enquiry by a High-level committee must be held in it.
Combing operations must be carried out in Muslim localities and then curfew must be imposed so that trained people of organisations like ‘Simi’ from outside cannot come here, train local people and give them weapons.
Administration and voluntary organisations must make efforts to augment the will power of the people in the localities terrorised by the riots and adequate protection should be provided to them.
Displaced persons living in the camps has been offered Rs.2000/- for rehabilitation. It is a very insufficient amount. This has to be reconsidered and provision must be made for satisfying minimum wants.
Every riot has its victims both among Hindus and Muslims. In Gujarat, it is going on for more than 2 months. Some atrocities have definitely been committed on Muslim and Hindu women. These must be investigated and justice must be made to the victims.
It is evident that the events which took place on 28th February are the spontaneous reactions of the cruel carnage of Godhra as well as of the atrocities committed by Muslims on Hindus for years together. It is also apparent that Gujarat has maintained a great respect M. Gandhi but it is following the thoughts and path of Vallabhbhai Patel.
Vivek (in Marathi) – This is English Translation
//
NDTV is a just a milder version of Tehelka
//
CNN-IBN has taken a lead on “best Chamcha for congress and commies” award.
They will beat even Tehelka soon.
Yossarin,
What do you see in Lalu recent and sudden activism?
Political rallies are being organised. Effigies are being burned. Lalu is screaming at Narendra modi. Lalu has started doing all kind of antics. What do you read here?
As Lalu is weakest ally in UPA right now, I read mid-term election here. Kapil Sibal also told today that Indian public might have to decide if Left cannot be reconciled.
[...] « Justice in Gujarat [...]
You mean this graphic description of Arundathy Roy mentioned in the article(Who’s She When She’s at Home?– Outlook, May 6) ?
B(H)ooker prize Roy’s apology for peddling ficition as facts:
To the Jaffri Family, An Apology
Hey Guys (esp. Nagesh), if you are interested in how the commies like arundhati roy et.al. propagate their lies, you should look into the (in)-famous BALBIR PUNJ-ARUNDHATI ROY debate. Here are some pointers: -
1.Article by PUNJ:
http://www.fisiusa.org/fisi_News_items/Godhra/godhra0146.htm
2. Apology from Roy (READ the last paragraph)
http://www.outlookindia.com/rants.asp?type=single&id=20020527133759
There is MORE into this, if you follow the leads. But, as I said – WHO CARES?
Nagesh,
Check this out:
AHMEDABAD: Eight persons were sentenced to life while three others were awarded three years imprisonment by a Godhra sessions court in the 2002 Eral massacre case that left seven people dead in the aftermath of the Godhra riots.
However, 29 people were acquitted in the case. Additional Sessions Judge H M Dholakia awarded life sentence to eight people. Three of them were also convicted for having gangraped two minor girls.
Three others were convicted on charges of looting and violence and were sentenced to three years imprisonment.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Gujarat_riots_Eight_convicts_get_life_term/articleshow/2502006.cms
“Three of them were also convicted for having gangraped two minor girls.”
CHECK THE NAMES OF THOSE 3
what about their names Narendra alias Gano Parmar, Mahesh Alias Chappo Chandrasinh and Kanubhai Bhalo ?
Here is the summary status of Cases .
Total persons convicted or under trial in connection with the post-Godhra riot cases has edged up to 800.
And the numbers: of the 4,271 FIRs that were lodged in the post-Godhra riot cases, 2,271 were closed after filing A-summaries indicating lack of evidence. Of these, the Supreme Court ordered 2,071 to be reopened following which a cell was set up in the DGP’s office to monitor the cases. The reopening saw over 700 getting arrested.
Sources inform that till date, 34 cases have seen convictions putting over 400 persons behind bars. The courts have handed acquittals in 789 cases, with the State government going in for appeal in 141 of them. (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Eral-case-verdict-has-Modi-worried/235107/)
[...] Little wonder she doesnt even now,be that as it may this comment is very interesting as it highlights how poorly informed this generation is with no appreciation of recent history on justice to riot victims. [...]
[...] Little wonder she doesnt even now,be that as it may this comment is very interesting as it highlights how poorly informed this generation is with no appreciation of recent history on justice to riot victims. [...]
[...] criminal elements fomenting trouble. Offstumped had also extensively documented how there has been more justice in Gujarat more convictions more sentences awarded than in the 1984 Congress sponsored anti-skikh riots of Delhi which curiously find no mention in [...]