Gujarat riots: Delay in Dipda Darwaja verdict?

The special court hearing the Gujarat riots' Dipda Darwaja case has directed that the testimony of two girls connected to the case be taken. The court has asked the special investigation team (SIT) to examine them on May 25. The two girls, who are witnesses in the case, were minors when the incident occurred 10 years back but they are now adults.

"The court has ordered that the two girls be cross-examined in court as they are witnesses and have now become majors," said Mukesh Brahmbhatt, special public prosecutor, SIT.

"The proceedings of the case are over but the court has raised some queries after going through the case papers. The judge has asked us to examine the girls as witness," Brahmbhatt said.
The trial of the case was completed on April 15 and the court is now in process of giving a verdict.

Eleven people were killed in Chudiwas of Dipda Darwaja in Visnagar town of north Gujarat on February 28, 2002 during the communal riots of 2002.

There are 85 accused on trial in the case and 126 (including 7 eyewitnesses) have been examined during the trial. The case is among the nine riot cases investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT).

Police inspector MK Patel, former BJP MLA Prahlad Patel and another BJP leader, Dahya Patel, are among the accused in the case.