The Supreme Court has asked the lower court in Gujarat to decide within four months the trial in a 2002 Gujarat riots case related to the Naroda Gam incident, in which 11 persons were killed.
A bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar was informed that the trial was in progress in the matter and defence evidence was being recorded by a special court in the State.
The top court asked the lower court to complete recording of evidence of the defence witnesses in two months.
“Under all circumstances, we hope and expect that the trial court shall render its judgment in the instant second matter within four months from today,” the bench said. The bench was also informed that two out of the nine cases, which were probed by the SIT, were pending before the lower court.
Eleven persons belonging to the minority community were killed at Naroda Gam in the 2002 riots during a bandh called to protest the Godhra train burning incident. The bench was informed that in one pending case, trial with respect to 60 persons had been concluded, of whom 24 were convicted and 36 acquitted.
