No evidence against 8 to be included in accused list: SIT

The application by the victims made last month had demanded that retired police officer M K Tandon,who was joint commissioner of police in 2002,the then police inspector of Meghaninagar police station N D Parmar and six others be made accused.

The Supreme Court appointed-SIT told the court that it has however,recommended departmental inquiry against Tandon,as it was felt by the agency that the there was dereliction of duty on part of the officer during the riots in Gulburg society where 69 people including former MP Ehsan Jaffery were killed on February 28,2002.

The other persons named in the application included former mayor of Ahmedabad Jagroopsinh Rajput,Manish Patel,Rajesh Mochi (a constable who live in Gulburg society),Babu Marwadi,Tinyo Harijan and Mahendra Pukhraj. riot-gulburg 2 last(bes14)

A written statement by SIT said that it was difficult to make a case against the eight persons named in the victims’ application,based on the varying statements of the witnesses.

It said that there was no enough evidence against Parmar,who was accused of not recording statements properly and shielding the accused by some riot victims.

SIT further said Harijan had died in 2007,while Pukhraj and Manish were not identified by the witnesses.

It said Rajput and Mochi had alibis. Rajput’s presence is marked in city civil court during the time of incident,while Mochi is shown present on duty at police headquarters in Shahibaug area of the city.