The SIT had, on Friday, sought to stop further deposition by witnesses in the Naroda Patiya massacre in 2002.
The accused in Naroda Patiya case, on Friday, objected to the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) decision to not allow more witnesses to testify in the case. The SIT had, on Friday, sought to stop further deposition by witnesses in the Naroda Patiya massacre in 2002.
The accused submitted before the special court that many important witnesses were yet to testify and the court should not allow the SIT to close the procedure of deposition of the witnesses. The court will issue the verdict on the plea on January 31.
The Supreme Court-appointed SIT has showed 650 witnesses in the charge-sheet. Out of these, 327 have already been examined by both, defence counsels and prosecutors. On Friday, the SIT’s counsel moved a plea before the special court judge, Jyotsna Yagnik, to close testimonies.
Defence lawyer Rajesh Kikani said, “Witnesses who can unfold significant facts of the case of the prosecution and who are eye-witnesses as per the charge-sheet, have been dropped and have not been examined before the court. No proper and cogent reason in the matter has been given. Such a situation works against the accused and does not help the cause of justice.”
In the plea, Kikani submitted that important witnesses, who, as per the statements of the accused during the investigation, prepared telephone call details, verified the correctness of the dialogues during the sting operation and who prepared the map of the place of offence in 2002 have not been examined yet.
Naroda Gam counsels put in papers
The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) special public prosecutor Ajay Choksi and assistant public prosecutor Vaibhav Vyas have resigned from their assignments of riot cases in Gujarat HCin the cases of Naroda Gam and Prantij British nationals’ murder.
Choksi has reportedly resigned from the service as he wants to be with his wife during her treatment. Vyas resigned as he was assisting Choksi in important assignments of the riot cases.
Confirming the development, Vyas said, “Ajay Choksi has resigned as special prosecutor of the riot cases and I resigned as I was assisting him.”
Choksi was involved in three high-profile important assignments. He was special counsel for all riot cases before HC except the Godhra train carnage case. He was also special counsel in Naroda Gam and British nationals’ murder cases. He was appointed as counsel a year and a half back. Choksi is the second special prosecutor to resign in the Naroda Gam case after Nigam Shukla and his assistant Kalpen Goswami.
Earlier, Gulbarg Society case public prosecutor RK Shah and his assistant Nayna Bhatt had resigned from their assignments.
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