Gulberg Society massacre: Court gives clean chit to Gujarat cops, says no larger conspiracy

According to the special SIT court, it is time to put an end to accusations of inaction levelled against the Gujarat police, as well as that of them being a part of a larger conspiracy during the 2002 riots in the state.

According to a report in The Times of India, the designated judge PB Desai on Friday, refuted the claims of a larger criminal conspiracy in the Gulberg Society massacre in which 69 persons lost their lives. "The controversy, in my opinion, has been laid to rest and is required to be given its due burial," he said.

On various occasions, the survivors of the Gulberg Society massacre requested the court to prosecute senior police officers - then Ahmedabad police commissioner PC Pande, then joint police commissioner MK Tandon, then DCP PB Gondhi and former investigators - in the trial on charges of inaction and dereliction of duty. The court, on all occasions, rejected their request made under section 319 of the CrPC.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court too vehemently opposed the witnesses' demand to put the senior cops on a trial on the basis of witnesses' testimonies before the court.

Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri (who was burnt alive during the riots) has also sought criminal prosecution against all these cops, bureaucrats, politicians including then chief minister Narendra Modi, for acting as per a larger conspiracy during the 2002 riots.

The SIT gave a clean chit to Modi and others and recommended departmental action against Tandon and Gondhi. SIT contested Zakia's protest petition with full force.

On this aspect, designated judge Desai observed, "Much attempts have been made to rake up this issue time and again, applications were tendered during the trial and independent proceedings have been initiated and such proceedings have been found without merit by all courts, including the Supreme Court. The controversy, in my opinion, has been laid to rest and is required to be given its due burial."