Dipda Darwaja massacre: SIT moves HC against acquittals

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has moved the Gujarat High Court appealing against the acquittal of 61 persons in the 2002 Dipda Darwaja massacre case and against the murder charge being dropped against 22 persons in the case. A special trial court had,in July last year,acquitted 61 persons in the case and convicted 21 persons under attempt to murder charge and one under the charge of dereliction of duty.

Special public prosecutor in the case in the HC,Manisha Lavkumar,confirmed that the SIT has filed the appeals but that the appeals have not come up on board for hearing. According to the prosecutor,they have moved an appeal against total acquittal of 61 persons in the case. She added that the SIT has also moved appeal against the acquittal of 22 persons from the case who were otherwise convicted under attempt to murder and dereliction of duty charge. Twenty one persons were convicted in the case under the attempt to murder charge and were condemned to life imprisonment by the special court.

Total 11 persons were killed in the massacre reported from the Visnagar town of Mehsana district of north Gujarat on February 28,2002.

Security up after terror alert

Security has been beefed up across the state following a terror alert by Intelligence Bureau that six terrorists have entered the state to target the Indian Oil Corporation refinery at Koyali in Vadodara and chemical industries in Ankleshwar and Bharuch. A officer in DGP’s office confirmed the IB alert but said it had not specified places or locations.