Chargesheet filed against Kodnani

Former second inspector of the Naroda police, VS Gohil, who is accused in the Naroda gaam case, is in the dock for the 2002 riots, with then deputy commission of police (zone IV), PB Gondia blaming him for inaction during the riots.

In his statement before the Special Investigation Team (SIT), Gondia said that Gohil had been intimated that he had to remain present at the site of the riots, but he had not carried out his duties properly. Gohil has also been blamed for not calling the fire brigade in time.

These statements form part of the chargesheet filed by the SIT before the metropolitan court in the Naroda gaam case against former minister of state for women development and child welfare, Maya Kodnani, and former VHP leader, Jaideep Patel. The chargesheet also names Gohil and Pankaj Parikh as accused in the case.

The chargesheet, which runs into around 1,700 pages, has relied on statements of IPS officer Rahul Sharma and Gondia. In his statements, Sharma said he had discussed the issue of mobile phones being heavily used, with then additional commissioner of police (crime) AK Surolia. He further said he had sent the records to then joint commissioner of police (crime) PC Pande for analysis, but he was later transferred.

The SIT has named three absconders, of whom two are dead and the third, Vishnu Thakore, is alive. The agency has taken the statements of 181 witnesses. While a chargesheet had been earlier filed against 75 accused in the case, the four chargesheeted on Friday has taken the total to 79.

The chargesheet said that on the day of the riots, the accused had shouted inflammatory slogans to incite the mob.