September 26, 2017

In this case BJP chief Amit Shah had appeared as a witness for BJP leader Maya Kodnani.

Today, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) requested the Judge, who’s hearing the 2002 Naroda Gam Massacre case, to visit the site of that incident to properly understand the topography of the area.

Special SIT Judge P. B. Desai agreed to visit the site on an application filed by prosecutor Suresh Shah. Judge Desai made the lawyers of the accused & the victims to submit a joint application with the SIT regarding the same.

The Court is likely to pass an order on the application tomorrow.

The Court had last week completed recording of testimonies of 187 witnesses, including BJP chief Amit Shah who appeared as a witness for BJP leader Maya Kodnani, an accused in the case.

SIT said that it wanted the Judge to visit Naroda Gam on the outskirts of Ahmedabad where the riot took place on 28th February 2002, so that he gets a better idea of its topography.

The visit’ll help the Judge verify the claims made by the witnesses, the team said.

SIT has filed a charge sheet against 82 people including Maya Kodnani in this case.

The Judge asked the lawyers to specify the places he’ll need to visit.

The lawyers suggested that the Judge may visit areas including Muslim Mohalla, the gram panchayat office, a lane near Bank of India, Mayur Hotel & Nandu Miya’s shop near the mosque which’ve figured in the descriptions given by the witnesses.

Naroda Gam massacre is 1 of the 9 major 2002 communal riots cases which were investigated by the SC-appointed SIT.

11 Muslims were killed in Naroda Gam during a bandh call given to protest the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002.

Maya Kodnani, who later became a minister in (then) CM Narendra Modi’s govt, has been sentenced to 28 years in jail in the Naroda Patiya riot case.