2002 Sardarpura massacre judgment likely on Nov 9

The judgment in the 2002 Sardarpura massacre case is expected to be pronounced on November 9 by the special trial court presided over by Sessions Judge S C Srivastava.

The judgment in the 2002 Sardarpura massacre case is expected to be pronounced on November 9 by the special trial court presided over by Sessions Judge S C Srivastava. The special court announced the date for the pronouncement on Friday.

This would be the second judgment in the nine post-Godhra riots cases further investigated by Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team. A total of 73 persons are facing trial in the case,while eight of them are in jail,the rest are out on bail. The prosecution has reportedly examined 112 persons as witnesses.

As many 31 persons were burnt alive in a locked house at Sardarpura village in Vijapur taluka of Mehsana district in north Gujarat on the night of March 1,2002.

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A mob of around 1,500 people had allegedly attacked the minority locality of Shaikh Vaas where around 20 kutcha houses were situated. Following the attacks,many people had left the place while nearly 100 people had stayed back.

When the mob attacked the area,the residents took shelter at the sole concrete house of one Mehmood Shaikh in the locality. The mob had allegedly locked the house from outside and set it on fire while pouring inflammable material inside the same. Twenty-eight people died on the spot whereas three succumbed to the injuries subsequently.

Most of the eyewitnesses to the case could survive reportedly because they were hiding at houses which were adjacent to the houses owned by local majority community,which the mob did not attack.

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