MLA gets 28 yrs for Naroda massacre,Bajrangi to spend rest of his life in jail

Describing Kodnani as the “kingpin”,Special Judge Jyotsna Yagnik said the Naroda Patiya massacre was a “black chapter in the history of democracy” and in that single act,people were reduced to “grilled meat”.

The court dismissed Kodnani’s plea that she was a victim of politics. “A-37 (Maya Kodnani) was tremendously favoured by the then investigating agencies. All care,at the cost of the duty of the IO (investigating officer) and even the interest of the victims of crime,was taken to see to it that the involvement of A-37 does not come on the books. This fact,in fact,comes in the way to believe that A-37 was ever a victim of any politics.”

“Their dastardly acts by killing as many as 96 victims by burning them alive at the site of the Muslim chawls itself is a horrifying and terrifying commission of offences.”

“The ‘khancha’ where 58 alone were done away (with) by reducing them to grilled meat can be visualised as a ghastly site where maximum number of victims died,human limbs were found scattered here and there,those who could fortunately survive,tried to save the unfortunate,severely injured victims from the flames… some of whom ultimately succumbed… before getting treatment,” the court said.

On the SIT’s plea that the death sentence be awarded to the convicts,the court said it considered the fact that they had undergone suffering in the last 10 years as accused,and had been through the lengthy trial of three years.

Reading the sentences in a packed court room,Judge Yagnik said: “It was a dominant feeling among the accused to take revenge for the Godhra carnage. However,every citizen of the country should understand that the rule of law is supreme in the country… Nobody can take the law in his or her hands.”

“A-37 (Kodnani) has been proved the kingpin of the entire communal riot and one of the principal conspirators who actively instigated rioters and abetted them to form unlawful assembly to execute the conspiracy hatched under her leadership with other co-conspirators,” the court said.

“India is a secular state and such offence by the elected member of a constitutional body needs to be viewed by the courts very seriously where disharmony,hatred and enmity based on religion was created by instigation and where such commission of crimes were abetted by Dr Kodnani,” the court said.

Observing that a life term usually means 14 years in jail,Judge Yagnik said: “However,looking at the offence,the need to establish the rule of law in the society and her position as a responsible person,she (Kodnani) has been awarded life imprisonment for 18 years.”

“A-18 (Babu Bajrangi) was one of the principal conspirators,active overt actor of the communal riot on that day,leader and instigator for the co-accused so far as Naroda massacre was concerned… he was also an active member of the unlawful assembly in at least two of the occurrences,including the ghastly evening occurrence.”

The court named seven other convicts who were present “all day” at the massacre site. “The gruesome and barbaric act of the accused and,more particularly,those seven accused… crossed all limits of inhumanity.”

The seven named were identified as Naresh Agarsingh Chhara,Moralibhai Naranbhai Sindhi,Haresh alias Hariyo Jivanlal alias Agarsinh Rathod (Chhara),Suresh alias Richard alias Suresh Langdo Dedawala (Chhara),Premchand alias Tiwari Conductor,Manojbhai alias Manoj Sindhi Renumal Kukrani and Bipin alias Bipin Autowala Umedray Panchal.

Dedawala was convicted of rape. “…such commission of offences against women were also committed in a public place,shamelessly and fearlessly by the tormentors.” The court ordered the state government to award compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a rape victim in the case.