Naroda Patiya massacre: SRP jawans incited the mob, say riot victims

The State Reserve Police Group 2 (Saijpur) played a dubious role in the Naroda Patia massacre. The SRP quarters gate was closed at 12 pm. SRP jawans denied helpless victims access to the headquarters when they wanted shelter from the angry mob.

The jawans even beat them up with lathis and lobbed teargas at victims. At around 4.30 pm on February 28, 2002 an SRP jawan told the victims: “If you come here, you will be killed.” The SRP officials event told the victims that they have orders to kill them.

An SRP official, Dataniya, and others lobbed teargas shells on Muslims when they approached them for help. He assaulted a victim, who is a witness, using the butt of his riffle and hurt the already injured witness on the leg. He also pulled a boy named Aiyub, threw him into the auto and burnt him alive.

As if they knew about the intentions of the mob, the SRP jawans told the Muslims at around 6 pm: “You will die by this evening. Get out from here.”

At 6 pm the SRP jawans assaulted Hanifkhan seriously. SRP officials reportedly told the victims: “Protect yourself, we don’t have any order to save you.”

Victims’ statements also revealed that one SRP  jawan said: “You don’t have any chance to defend yourself. And we have orders from a higher authority to finish you.”

SRP PSI KP Parikh pointed his revolver at the victims, did not stop the Hindu mob and instigated the mob to attack Muslims. Asif Pathan was seriously injured with a rifle butt.

SRP jawans mixed with the Hindu mobs and used their firearms to fire on Muslims. There was an SRP point situated near Noorani Masjid. The jawans injured Mustaq and Abid was killed in SRP firing. Yusufbhai told SRP to stop the mob but the latter assaulted him with a stick.

Few victims said that when they asked an SRP jawan to let them inside the headquarters he refused and said he was ready to die in revenge for the Godhra incident.