Patia case: Acquittal of 20 challenged

AHMEDABAD: The witnesses in the Naroda Patia case of post-Godhra riots have questioned the special court's decision to acquit 20 accused persons. The witnesses claim that evidence against the 20 has been overlooked. A division bench of Justice R R Tripathi and Justice R D Kothari has set January 9 for a hearing for the admission of the appeal, said witnesses' lawyer Altaf Jidran. The state government and the SIT have not filed any appeal in this case despite the fact that the limitation period was over more than ten days ago. The prosecution is expected to file its appeal against the lower court's decision within 90 days. Special judge Jyotsna Yagnik pronounced her verdict on August 29 convicting 31 and acquitting 29 persons.All the convicts have challenged the SIT court's verdict and the HC has admitted their appeals. Farzana Pathan and five other victim-witnesses of the 2002 riots have filed an appeal against the special court's decision to acquit 20 including two women - Ramila and Geeta Rathod, and a lawyer Rajkumar Chaumal. The witnesses have not questioned the trial court letting off nine other accused persons, for they were acquitted for want of any evidence against them. Those whose acquittal has been challenged were let off by the court by giving them the benefit of doubt. The witnesses, however, have now demanded an enhancement in the punishment handed down to 32 convicts including former minister Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi. All the convicts were awarded life imprisonment. While Bajrangi has been jailed till his death, eight others have been sentenced to 31 years. Kodnani has got 28 years' jail term, while the rest have been jailed for 24 years. Source:  Times of India