In Ramol, the wait for another 145;logical146; end

In Janta Nagar, Ramol, reactions to Friday8217;s Best Bakery verdict were muted8212;of the 57 people burnt alive on the Sabarmati Express, 14 belonged to Ramol. 8216;8216;The guilty should be punished. We are happy for them and hope that even our case comes to a logical end soon,8217;8217; said Bharat Panchal, whose wife was one of those killed in the horror of February 27, 2002. Another widower, Prakash Choudagar, said, 8216;8216;After riots, what is left behind is anger, pain and loss and this is the same for people of any community. The only ray of hope is that the guilty get punished.8217;8217;

Chief Minister Narendra Modi, however, had nothing to say. He was presenting the annual budget in the State Assembly when the verdict came. As soon as he finished his budget speech, Modi had brief closed-door consultations with his senior colleagues to take stock of the situation.

Immediately after that, he flew to Nagpur to attend the birth centenary celebrations of Guru Golwalkar. Even his ministerial colleagues were too stunned to react. When asked, most shot back a curt 8220;no comment8221;.