Ahmedabad: Gujarat HC has confirmed the acquittal of six individuals in the murder of three British citizens Of Indian origin near Prantij in the Sabarkantha district during the 2002 riots. A special SIT court in Himmatnagar had exonerated the defendant citing lack of evidence on February 27, 2015.
HC comprising Judges Ay Kogje and SJ Dave declared that he found no reason to interfere with the order approved by the main district and the Sabarkantha session court. He pointed out that the case was based on an anonymous complaint received by the high British commission.
A SIT designated by SC had prosecuted six people: Mithanbhai Patel, Chandu aka Prahlad Patel, Ramesh Patel, Patel Broke, Rajesh Patel and Kalabhai Patel, for the murder of three British citizens who visit India in 2002.
Saeed Dawood, Shakeel Dawood and MD Aswat were killed on February 28, 2002, one day after Godhra butcher shop, in NH-8 near Vadvasa. A local driver, Yusuf Piragha, was also supposedly burned by a mafia during post-godhra violence. Another visitor from the United Kingdom, Imran Dawood, suffered injuries, but managed to escape and then filed a complaint. He was a key witness in the case. The Court of First Instance rejected Imran’s testimony and acquitted all the defendants.
Imran questioned the acquittal against HC, which indicated in his verdict that the investigation was based on an anonymous fax message sent to the high British commission, and not on “evidence of any independent ocular witness.”