Special Court convicted 32 People in Naroda Patiya Riot Case

A special court on 29 August 2012 convicted 32 people, including former Gujarat Minister Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case. The communal riot in Naroda Patiya in Gujarat had claimed the lives of 97 people from the minority community.

Kodnani, a three-time BJP MLA from Naroda area and Bajrangi were held guilty under sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC in the post-Godhra riots case.

The court acquitted 29 other accused in the same case as it didn’t find any solid evidence against them. The court will award the punishment to all the convicts on 31 August 2012. The trial in the case began in August 2009 and charges were framed against 62 accused.

The massacre in the Naroda Patiya area had taken place a day after the Godhra train burning incident of 27 February 2002. On February 28, 2002 when a bandh call was given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a large crowd gathered in the Naroda Patiya area and attacked people belonging to minority community that resulted in the death of 97 people while 33 others were injured in the violence.