HC designates 9 judges for riot cases

The Gujarat high court has appointed nine judges for conducting trials in nine post-Godhra riots cases in Gujarat. The high court administration has issued an official notification in regard to the riot cases being probed by the supreme court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). The notification was issued following a meeting between the chief justice of Gujarat high court and RK Raghvan, chairman of the SIT, earlier this week.

The fast-track court will soon be operational in the respective districts. Of the nine special courts, four will be in Ahmedabad, two each in Mehsana and Anand, and one in Himmatnagar of Sabarkantha district. The trial of Godhra carnage case is being conducted in Sabarmati jail because the state government has invoked section 268 of the IPC on the Godhra accused, which means their trial can not take place outside the jail because of security reasons.

According to the HC order, additional sessions judge P R Patel has been designated to conduct trial in the Godhra train carnage case which will be held on the premises of Sabarmati Central Jail.

Judge SH Vora and additional sessions judge Jyotsna Yagnik will be presiding over the trial of Naroda gam and Naroda Patiya cases respectively.

For the Gulbarg Society case, where former Congress MP Ahesan Jafri was killed during the riots, judge BU Joshi has been designated for conducting trial. For the two cases in Mehsana district - Dipda Darwaja and Sardarpura - the court has designated judge BN Kariya and judge SC Srivastava, respectively.

Judges SY Trivedi and RM Sarine have been designated to conduct trial in two riot cases in Khambodaj and Ode of Anand district respectively. While for the riot case in Prantij taluka of Sabarkantha district, where some British nationals were killed, judge HP Patel has been designated for conducting the trial.