Chief Minister Narendra Modi had not responded to the pleas for help from Congress MP Ehsan Jafri before the massacre began at Gulberg Society in 2002, Rupa Mody, who lost her son in the killings, told the specially designated trial court in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Her deposition tallies with the one given before the court by another eyewitness to the massacre, Imtiaz Pathan. Rupa had lost her eight-year-old son Azhar in the Gulberg Society massacre and her story had later inspired the Hindi movie, Parzania. The movie was not screened in Gujarat following widespread opposition by the saffron brigade in the state.

Rupa told the court that on February 28, 2002 when Gulberg Society residents were attacked by a communal mob, Jafri had told her about his telephonic conversation with Narendra Modi requesting him for protection. Jafri had also told Rupa that he did not get appropriate answer from the CM, she stated in the court.

Rupa identified some of the accused in the case allegedly involved in the carnage and instigating the mob.

She further told the court that 2-3 months after the incident, the then police inspector of Meghaninagar police station, KG Erda, also one of the accused in the case, had made her sign an affidavit in his favour in connivance with two other accused, Dr Atul Vaidhya and Bharat Teli.

She said the three had assured her that they will help her in finding out her missing son. According to Rupa, she also had a telephonic conversation with the then Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad City, P C Pande and that she had requested him to provide police protection. She said the Commissioner had even asked her about the number of the people stranded in the society but no help was sent. Rupa said the attack actually intensified immediately after her conversation with Pande.

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