For the first time, a former minister has been convicted and sent to jail in a Gujarat riots case. 31 others were sentenced along with her.
Special judge Jyotsana Yagnik delivered a 1900 page order in a packed courtroom announcing the quantum of sentence for 32 accused who were convicted on Wednesday.
Some key excerpts from the judgement:
- The Court named Kodnani, a sitting MLA and former Gujarat Minister, as "a kingpin of riots" in Naroda area.
- "Communal riots are like cancer on Constitutional secularism and the incident in Naroda Patiya was a black chapter in the history of the Indian Constitution," the Judge observed.
- "Acts of communal violence are brutal, inhuman and shameful. It (Naroda) was a clear incident of human rights violation as 97 people were killed brutally within a day which included helpless women, children, aged persons. The climax of this inhuman and brutal act of violence was reflected in murder of an infant, who was 20-day old," the Court noted.
- "This was a pre-planned conspiracy and it cannot be mitigated just by saying it was a reaction of Godhra train burning incident. Nobody can be allowed to take law into their hands because India is a country that upholds rule of law."
- Regarding Kodnani, the court observed that she was the "kingpin of entire riots" that took place in Naroda Patiya area. She led the mob and incited them for violence. She abetted and supported the violent mob, it said.