Naroda Gam: Court rejects plea to examine public prosecutors

The SIT court hearing the 2002 Naroda Gam riot case rejected an application of some of the accused seeking to examine two public prosecutors as witnesses here today.
Judge PB Desai rejected the application filed by defence lawyer Chetan Shah, who wanted to examine public prosecutors Viha Patel and Gaurang Vyas.
The judge said the application was not tenable and it would not add any value to the proceedings.
The applicants wanted to examine the two prosecutors to find out if there was any anger and anguish among the Hindu community after the Sabarmati Express was set on fire at Godhra on February 28, 2002.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) which probed the case opposed the application, saying that a Supreme Court judgment prohibited the examination of public prosecutors as defence witnesses.
That there was anger and anguish among the Hindus in the aftermath of the Godhra incident was already stated by various witnesses, the SIT said.
The Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major cases related to the Godhra riots investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT.
Eleven persons of the minority community were killed at Naroda Gam in the aftermath of the Godhra incident. A total of 82 people, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, are facing trial in the case.