The Hindu : Front Page : Special courts to try riot cases

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Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007
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Special courts to try riot cases

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Monday said that special courts would be set up to try serious cases in the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai. He told a delegation that at least four to five courts would be set up to try about 24 to 36 cases.

Assurance

He will be writing soon to the High Court to appoint special courts and special public prosecutors to try the cases. He gave this assurance to a delegation of various organisations which met him for an hour, demanding visible and concrete action in the riot cases.

The police have said that 894 chargesheets were filed in various cases of which 253 are still pending in court.

There were 539 acquittals and in 27 cases, 84 people were convicted. The Chief Minister also said that the acquittals will be examined and it will be assessed whether a re-investigation should be ordered or an appeal would be enough.

Ms. Teesta Setalvad of the Citizens for Justice and Peace, which is part of Nyay Andolan, a 26 member coalition set up last month to fight for the implementation of the Sri Krishna Commission report, said that in view of this assurance, a massive protest planned for August 20 was postponed. The morcha will now be held on October 25.

Inflammatory writings

Cases where there is gender violence, multiple murders and mass arson should be given preference, Ms Setalvad said. Mr. Deshmukh has ordered that action would be taken against those in the media indulging in inflammatory writings.

Sena’s warning

PTI reports:

The Shiv Sena on Monday said the Maharashtra Government’s move to implement the findings of the Srikrishna Commission was “as good as an attack on Hindutva” and the party would “fight it till the last drop of blood.”

“If the government wants to implement the Srikrishna Commission recommendations just to appease traitors, they can be sure that the Shiv Sena will fight it with full force.

They cannot twist the law according to their whims,” Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said at a function here.

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