More than two decades after 11 Muslim community members were killed in the post-Godhra riots in Ahmedabad's Naroda Gam, a special court in Ahmedabad on Thursday acquitted all the 67 accused in the case, including former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani and ex-Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi.
The timeline of Naroda Gam riot case.
February 28, 2002: Eleven persons from Muslim community killed in violence in Naroda Gam area of Ahmedabad during the bandh call given by right-wing organisations a day after the Godhra train burning incident.
May 2009: Gujarat high court designates SH Vora as judge for the Naroda Gam case trial.
May 2009: The Supreme Court-constituted Special Investigation Team files a charge sheet against Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former state minister Maya Kodnani, VHP leader Jaideep Patel, Babu Bajrangi and others.
May 2009: Charges framed against them under IPC Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 395 and 397 (looting) and 143 to 147 (rioting). As per the charge sheet, Kodnani and Patel led the mob.
July 2009: Special court begins proceedings with the SIT submitting its ninth charge sheet.
July 2010: Total number of accused in the case reaches 86 with SIT filing charge sheet against three more persons.
August 2012: A special court convicts 32 persons including Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi in Naroda Patiya case, another post-Godhra riot incident in which more than 90 persons were killed.
November 2012: Judge SH Vora elevated as additional judge of Gujarat high court. Jyotsna Yagnik takes over as presiding judge of Naroda Gam trial.
August 2017: The Supreme Court asks the special court to conclude the trial in four months.
September 18, 2017: Amit Shah, then BJP president, appears before the court as a defence witness after Kodnani seeks to examine him to prove her alibi.
Shah tells the court he saw Kodnani in the Gujarat Assembly around 8:30 am and at Sola civil hospital around 11:15 am on the day violence took place.
October 2017: Special judge PB Desai visits the scene of offence in Naroda Gam.
December 2017: Judge Desai retires.
April 20, 2018: Kodnani acquitted in Naroda Patiya massacre case by Gujarat High Court. The HC upholds the conviction of 12 persons including Bajrangi.
August 2018: SIT tells the special court that Kodnani was present at the crime spot for around 10 minutes and left after “instigating the mob.”
August 2018: SIT tells the special court that Amit Shah's statement defending Kodnani “not believable”.
August 2018: The court watches CD of sting operation carried out by former Tehelka journalist Ashish Khetan, featuring some accused of 2002 riots cases.
April 20, 2023: Special court acquits all 67 accused in Naroda Gam case including Kodnani and Bajrangi.
