Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The sequence of events that continues to shock the nation a decade on.

The sequence of events that continues to shock the nation a decade on.
28 February 2002: A Hindu mob gathered on the national highway near
Noorani Mosque. The mob, armed with swords, pipes and sticks, attacked
the Muslim-dominated Naroda Patiya. 95 people were burnt to death and
over a hundred houses were set afire.
July 2002: The Ahmedabad crime branch submitted its first chargesheet,
which did not include local MLA Dr Maya Kodnani and Bajarang Dal
leader Babu Bajarangi among the accused.
November 2003: The Apex Court stayed trial in the nine most gruesome
cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Naroda Patiya was one of the nine.
The stay was granted on the plea of the NHRC, which sought a probe by
an independent agency and trial outside Gujarat.
March 2008: The Apex Court constituted a Special Investigation Team
(SIT) to carry on investigations into the nine cases.
April 2009: The SIT arrested the Minister for Women and Child
Development and Naroda MLA Dr
Maya Kodnani in connection with the Naroda Patiya massacre case.
May 2009: The Supreme Court lifted the stay on trial and directed the
Gujarat HC and the SIT to create a special fast track court to conduct
trial in the nine cases.
January 2012: Trial court judge Jyotsna Yagnik visited the site.
May 2012: Trial in the case got over. Trial court judge scheduled the
date for judgement in June 2012.