As more riot cases unfold…

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Gujarat EDN

AM  31AUG2012

Politicians, cops get the jitters

Senior lawyer Mukul Sinha and retired DGP R B Sreekumar believe Jaideep Patel, I K Jadeja, Gordhan Zadaphia and Shankar Chaudhary are among those who may face the heat in the coming days when other riot cases unfold

Ojas Mehta and Dilip Patel

    WithBJPMLAMayaKodnani convicted for criminal conspiracy and murder, politicians and policemen who are alleged to have played a role in the riots are now feeling the heat. If Kodnani can be convicted, so can others, is the undercurrent that prevails.
The shield, that a politician is never convicted for such crimes, has been shattered and leaders like I K Jadeja, Gordhan Zadaphia, Shankar Chaudhary and Jaideep Patel may be getting the jitters.
Mirror spoke to senior advocate Dr Mukul Sinha and retired DGP R B Sreekumar who claimed that at least three political leaders and a VHP leader will feel the heat in the days to come.
JAIDEEP PATEL
ThestateVHPleadermaydefinitelybe a worried man these days. He is the main accused in the Naroda Gam incident where 11 persons, including women and children had been burnt alive. He is charged with criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, destroying property among other charges. His presence at Naroda Gam has been recorded in the mobile phone records between February 28 andMarch4,2002,thatwerecollected inCDsbythethenDCPRahulSharma. “He is the accused number one in Naroda Gam case. He will surely be feeling the jitters,” Dr Sinha claimed.
I K JADEJA
I K Jadeja, urban development minister at the time of post-Godhra communal riots in 2002 and presently state BJP spokesperson, was in the DGP’schamberduringthecommunal riots. His presence in the DGP’s chamber despite not being in charge of home department was seen as an instance of exercising illegal authority.
GORDHAN ZADAPHIA
Minister of state for home in 2002 when post-Godhra riots had erupted, Gordhan Zadaphia was to monitor and supervise the post-Godhra action andcontroltheriots.However,hehad failed to deliver and is definitely going to be under the scanner for his lack of action.
SHANKAR CHAUDHARY
He was accused of killing two Muslims with his revolver on March 1, 2002, in his constituency at Radhanpur during the anti-Muslim riots.
    He is charged under IPC 302. Chaudhary is presently general secretary of the BJP.
    Others whose names figure in the riots include Dilip Patel, Madhu Srivastava, Nitin Patel and Dr Praveen Togadia, besides Maya Kodnani, who have been charged with collaboration with other accused in perpetration of violence in pursuance of a conspiracy.
    Besides, Zakia Jafri, the widow of slainMPEhsanJafri,hadnamedseveral police officials in the Gulberg Society massacre case, including the then DGP K Chakravarthi, IPS officer A K Bhargava, chief secretary G Subbarao, then ACS home Ashok Narayan, the then police commissioner P C Pande, police officers M K Tandon, K Nityanandam, Rakesh Asthana, A K Sharma, G C Murmu, Shivanand Jha, D H Brahmbhatt,DeepakSwaroop,Sudhir Sinha,KKumarswami,DGVanzara,V MParghi,KGErda,KKMysorewala,M T Rana, Tarun Barot, Narendra Amin, G C Raigar and K R Kaushik in her petition filed before the Supreme Court.