07/12/2012, 00.00
INDIA
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Massacres in Gujarat: a justice of sorts

In a case related to interreligious riots of 2002, the Mumbai High Court has acquitted five defendants for "lack of evidence", but four others are sentenced to life imprisonment. In late July, the Supreme Court will decide whether to confirm a judgment of the High Court of Gujarat, which obliges the State Government to rebuild more than 500 places of worship destroyed in the massacre.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - For " for the tardy probe and serious lapses in the case," the Mumbai High Court has acquitted five of the nine accused in the "Best Bakery" case, one of many incidents of interreligious violence in the 2002 Gujarat in the riots. But for the other four defendants the court upheld life imprisonment. Fr. Cedric Prakash, director of Prashant Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, says the verdict "triggers many questions," not because of the judgment itself, but "the reasons given by the court."

The case of "Best Bakery" is one of the most violent assaults occurred during the massacres in Gujarat. On March 1, 2002 - two days after the carnage of the Sabarmati Express - A group of Hindus attacked some Muslims, who had taken refuge in the Best Bakery in Vadodara pastry. After looting the shop, the attackers set fire to the structure, causing the deaths of 14 people (including some Hindus who worked in the bakery).

In reading the verdict, the judges of the High Court of Mumbai said they had "given the benefit of the doubt" to Rajubhai Baria, Pankaj Gosavi, Jagdish Rajput, Lalo Devjibhai Vasava and Shailesh Tadvi (the acquitted) for lack of evidence and unreliable witnesses. Instead, thanks to the stories of some survivors - Tufil Ahmed Siddiqui, Raees Khan, Shahzad Khan Pathan and Shailun Khan Pathan - were sentenced to life imprisonment and the other four accused are Sanjay Thakkar, Bahadur Singh Chauhan, Sanabhai Baria and Dinesh Rajbhar .

"The Best Bakery case - explains to AsiaNews Fr. Prakash - is the best known of the massacre of Gujarat for two reasons: the brutality of the attack and the turnaround by Zaheera Sheikh, when it perhaps mattered the most. " The priest said, "there is no doubt that we are faced with a case of injustice. But there the hope remains that it will create a precedent and that other victims who survived the massacres will see justice done."

On 27 February 2002 a group of Muslims attacked and set fire to the Sabarmati Express, aboard which were Hindus - mostly women, children and elderly - returning from a pilgrimage to Ayodhya. The attack, which killed 58 people, sparked violent sectarian riots in Gujarat. In the massacre, the Islamic community of the State has paid the highest price: of more than 1,000 confirmed deaths, 790 were Muslims and 254 Hindus. At least 253 people were declared missing, 523 places of worship, including three churches, were damaged, 27,901 Hindus and 7,651 Muslims were arrested.

Meanwhile, on July 30 next the Supreme Court of India will vote to confirm or cancel a landmark ruling of the High Court of Gujarat, which required the state government compensate damages and cover the reconstruction of over 500 places of worship (v . 10/05/2012, " Gujarat massacre: government to rebuild more than 500 places of worship "). (NC)

 

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Open letter calls for justice eight years after the Gujarat massacre
02/03/2010
Delhi to pay compensation for thousands of Muslim killed or wounded
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Gujarat violence brings back spectre of 2002 massacres
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Five years on, Gujarat awaits “truth and justice”
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