In a statement, the former President of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) also deplored "communal approach" by "Hindu Chauvinists".
Former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajinder Sachar described a Gujarat court verdict in Gulberg Housing Society case as a "stain" on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, considering that he was the Chief Minister in Gujarat when the killings took place. In a statement, the former President of Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) also deplored "communal approach" by "Hindu Chauvinists" who were resisting shifting of displaced Muslim families to a locality following demolition of their homes.
According to a report in a national daily, residents of Kapurai a neighbourhood in Vadodara where about 300 displaced families, mostly Muslims, are supposed to be relocated following the demolition of their homes in Suleiman Chawl have written to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation protesting against the move. The letter states that allowing Muslims to move into the locality will "hamper the peace-loving nature here" as their "daily activity involves assaulting and abusing", the report said.
The Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the case, had directed the SIT court to give its verdict by May 31. During the course of trial, as many as 338 witnesses were cross-examined, with four different judges having presided over the case. Of the 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, nine are behind bars, while others are out on bail. One accused, Kailash Dhobi, had jumped the parole and even failed to turn up today in the court, thereby being declared absconding. He has been convicted for murder in the case. As many as eight charge sheets were filed in the case, the last being on May 16, 2009 by the Supreme-Court-appointed SIT after the apex court intervened on a petition filed by the victims' family members.
Bipin Patel, who is acquitted in the case, is a sitting BJP corporator from Asarva seat. He was also corporator in 2002 when the massacre happened and won the election for fourth consecutive term last year. During the trial, riots victim's lawyer had argued that the massacre was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused to kill minority community members of the Gulberg Society. The defence had refuted the conspiracy theory of prosecution and claimed that the mob resorted to violence only after Jafri fired several rounds at them. Among those who were found guilty of charges including murder are: Kailash Dhobi, Yogendrasinh Shekhawat, Krushna Kumar Kalaal, Dilip Kalu, Jayesh Parmar, Raju Tiwari, Naran Tank, Lakhansinh Chudasama, Dinesh Sharma, Bharat Balodiya and Bharat Rajput.
Meanwhile, former BJP corporator Bipin Patel, who was acquitted by the court today, welcomed the verdict and said that truth has finally prevailed. "We always had faith in judiciary. Truth has finally prevailed today. Many innocent people living near that area were wrongfully arrested by police at that time. I was not present at the scene of crime and I did not knew from where the mob came to Gulberg society on that day," said Patel outside the court.
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