Naroda Gam: Accused seek arraignment of 82 witnesses

A special court hearing the 2002 Naroda Gam rioting case today issued notices to 82 witnesses belonging to minority community on an application requesting their arraignment on the charge of rioting.
The application was filed by all 84 accused in the court of designated Judge Jyotsna Yagnik who issued notices to 82 witnesses -- who belong to minority community -- and posted the next hearing on June 1.
The court has so far examined 183 witnesses in the ongoing trial.
The application was filed by all the accused, including former state minister and Naroda Patiya massacre case convict Maya Kodnani and VHP leader Dr Jaydeep Patel.

They filed the application through their advocate Chetan Shah.
Eleven people from the minority community were killed on February 27, 2002 in violence at Naroda Gam industrial area in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning incident.

In their prayer, the accused claimed that, "at least 82 persons appear to be involved in rioting in the form of stone pelting, throwing acid bulbs and bottles on Hindus. And their involvement has been revealed through various testimonies recorded before the court".
The accused, citing testimonies of some of the witnesses, claimed that they had even 'confessed' of their role in rioting.

"Apart from some independent witnesses, even police personnel Ajitsingh Waghela, Praveensinh Waghela, Dharmendrasinh Padamsinh and two section officers from the state home department, who were on duty that day, testified before the court that the Muslims had indulged in rioting throughout the day," the application said.
The accused requested the court to arraign 82 witnesses, including key witnesses Nannumiya Malek, Madina Pathan, Mohammed Hanif Qureshi, Bismillakhan Pathan, Ganibhai Mansuri and Imran Pathan.