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Gujarat appoints prosecutors for 7 riot cases

Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government has appointed public prosecutors for seven of the nine 2002 communal riot-related cases to be tried in fast track courts by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team.

The Law Department issued a notification on Monday appointing 16 public prosecutors to represent the SIT.

An official spokesman said here the public prosecutors for the two remaining cases, the Gulberg Society massacre in Ahmedabad and the incident at Ode near Anand, would be appointed in the next few days.

For the seven cases, the government has appointed panels of two advocates each. In the cases of Godhra train carnage and Naroda-Patiya massacre, the chief public prosecutor would be helped by two assistants each.

As per the Supreme Court’s directive, the Gujarat High Court has already constituted the fast track courts — four in Ahmedabad, two each in Anand and Mehsana and one in Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district for the trial of the nine relatively very gruesome riot incidents being probed afresh by the SIT.

R.K. Raghavan, Chairman of the SIT, personally checked the antecedents of the government pleaders before advising the Law Ministry on the appointment of the public prosecutors.

The court proceedings are expected to begin in full swing once the courts reopen after summer vacation.

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