Gulberg riot: Court approves naming cop as accused

The special trial court for the 2002 Gulberg Society massacre,on Monday,partly allowed an application moved by the lawyer of the victims,and ordered to name a police constable as accused in the case.

The application had demanded to arraign eight people as accused in the case,including the former Joint Commissioner of Ahmedabad Police,M K Tandon. The others include former Inspector of Meghaninagar police,N D Parmar,former Dy Mayor of Ahmedabad Jagroopsingh Rajput,police constable Rajesh Jinger,Manish Splendor,Mahendra Pukhraj,Babu Marwadi and Iniyo Harijan.

The court said there seems to be truth in the representation of the applicants in the case of Jinger. It issued notice to Jinger to remain present on January 22 for initiating further action against him.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had opposed the application,and for Jinger,had adopted the defence of alibi. The court,meanwhile,rejected the prayer to include Rajput,Splendor and Pukhraj as accused,citing lack of evidence. In the case of Babu Marwadi,it ordered the SIT to further probe to collect evidence and submit a report by February 8. For Tandon and Parmar,the court held that at present there is no evidence to name them as accused. It will take appropriate action after recording the entire evidence in the case,it said. Harijan is presumed to be dead.

S M Vora,the lawyer of the victims said: We will challenge the order in the High Court.

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