RB Sreekumar, Teesta Setalvad Hails Verdict On Naroda Patiya Massacre

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By NewzFist

01 September, 2012
Newzfirst.com

The verdict of a special court in Gujarat that sentenced Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)legislator and former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani to 28 years in jail for her involvement in the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Naroda Patiya, has been welcomed by the rights’ defenders.

“This is a historic verdict in the history of Indian Judiciary and has to be written in golden letters.” RB Sreekumar, former Director General of Gujarat Police told Newzfirst.

“Very rarely we come across such verdicts wherein guilty are sentenced to such sentences in case of anti-minority riots, whether it is post Babri Masjid demolition, Bheewandi, Bhagalpur or Ahmedbad riots in 80’s.” he said.

RB Sreekumar is former Director General of Police, Gujarat had deposed against the Gujarat Government and its Chief Minister Narendra Modi before the Nanavati Shah commission looking into the 2002 Godhra carnage and subsequent riots.

Hailing the Special Court for the conviction of the lawmaker, he said, “The verdict has included all the five categories of people involved in riots i.e. planners, organizers, mobilizers, perpetrators and facilitators.”

While the Gujarat Police and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by RK Raghavan too has failed to indict the planners, this verdict has, he said.

Terming the verdict as ‘great’, human rights activist Teesta Setalvad, told Newzfirzt that the verdict will have impacts on impending cases.

Setalvad has been working for the justice to Gujarat riot victims for the past several years.

“The charges, which were upheld against Mayaben and others by the special court, make it clear that the post Godhra riots were not spontaneous reaction, but a major conspiracy.” she said.

The degrees of sentences also signify the major conspiracy, she added.

More than 10 years after a mob hacked and burnt to death the 97 Muslims in Naroda Patiya on Feb 28, 2002, the special court had Friday sentenced BJP legislator and former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani to 28 years in jail and former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi to life imprisonment till death, while the other 30 convicts were also awarded life terms.

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