Gujarat EDN
AM 01SEP2012
Accuse state government of pushing innocents behind bars, claim that real culprits are free; cops resort to mild lathicharge
Vijay Zala and Zahid Qureshi amfeedback@indiatimes.com
Apall of gloom that descended at the designated court near Income Tax on Friday gave way to an emotional outburst by kin of the accused who started shouted slogans against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the state government.
TheenragedmobaccusedtheModi government of pushing innocent people behind bars and claimed that the real culprits were roaming free. The designated court that had convicted 32 people on Wednesday read out the sentence on Friday. Relatives and friends of the accused had come in full force at the designated court near Income Tax.
Parkingbecameahugeproblemas the police refused to allow people to park either inside or outside court compound, forcing them to park about 500 metres away. The sentence that was to be read out at 11 am was postponed to 2.45 pm. Relatives of the convicts requested the police to allow them meet them,butthecopsturneddowntheir request.
This resulted in a heated argument between a group of women and the police.
An irate mob shouted slogans like “HaireModihaihai”,
Earlier in the day, Anju Rathod, wife of convict Vikram Rathod, was adamant that she be allowed to meet her husband.
When the police rejected her request, she started weeping and fainted. She was later lifted and taken to family court premises.
The 108 was called in but Anju who gained consciousness said if she is taken to the hospital, her husband, who had lost his mother following the verdict, may become further dejected. She was adamant she would not visit the hospital before seeing her husband.
Police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the angry crowds.
Mahesh Chhara, one of sloganeers, claimed, “Narendra Modi and the state police have put innocent peoplebehindbars.
WHERE WAS MODI?
On Friday, CM Narendra Modi was at Shamlaji temple in north Gujarat when the sentence for the convicts was being read out. The reading began at 2.45 pm and got over at 3.20 pm. Modi was at the historical temple to conduct the bhumipujan of new development works. The temple complex is expected to be developed in six months. He also visited Bharuch district’s Bhadbhut fair at around noon on Friday.
