Naroda Patiya Riots: A Timeline of the Case that Killed 97 Muslims

The Naroda Patiya case refers to the violent riots that killed 97 Muslims in the region, during the Gujarat riots.

Maya Kodnani, former Gujarat minister, was acquitted by the Gujarat High Court on 20 April, for her role in the Naroda Patiya Case of 2002. 

(Photo: Reuters)

The infamous Naroda Patiya massacre took place during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express carrying mostly Kar Sevaks from Ayodhya, was set on fire, killing 57 of them.

On 28 February, 2002, a day following the incident, an angry mob instigated by the Bajrang Dal gathered at Naroda Patiya on the Naroda-Narol Highway and riots broke out, killing 97 Muslims.

While the case has been unfolding since then, a division bench of the Gujarat High Court finally pronounced its judgment in the case, after hearing 11 appeal petitions that were filed by the convicts, the SIT and families of those killed in the riots.

According to The Indian Express, the division bench of justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehia had reserved the order in August, 2017. While BJP minister Maya Kodnani, once referred to as the main conspirator behind the violence was acquitted, former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi’s life sentence till death was upheld by the bench.

Here’s a timeline of the case, tracing the developments since 2002, up to the final judgment of the Gujarat High Court,

February, 2002

On 27 February, 2002, the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express carrying Kar Sevaks from Ayodhya, was torched, leading to the death of 57 Kar Sevaks.

A day later, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal declared Gujarat Bandh. On the same day, an angry mob gathered at Naroda Patiya on the Naroda-Narol Highway.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Kodnani, who was a local MLA of the area, instigated the masses to avenge the death of the Kar Sevaks.

Dr Maya Kodnani, the MLA of the said area, after completing the mourn meeting in the Vidhan Sabha came near Noorani Masjid and as per the evidence on record she made some speech and said ‘Kill Muslims, destroy the property of Muslims.’

SIT report stated

97 Muslims were killed as a result of the clashes.

August, 2012:

A report by News Bytes states that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which had been formed to look into the case, had in 2008 discovered phone records, that placed Kodnani as having been present at the scene of the incident.

Additionally, several witnesses also said they saw her there.

Calling the incident a “pre-planned conspiracy in view of the Godhra train carnage case”, the SIT declared her guilty in 2012, even saying that she was the “kingpin” of the riots, The Indian Express reports.

On 31 August, 2012 Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in jail for her alleged role in instigating the riots, with the judge saying she had “abandoned her duties as an MLA”, News Bytes reports.

Including Kodnani, the SIT had sentenced a total of 32 people to life imprisonment, for their role in the case.

April, 2015:

Following Kodnani’s arrest, the defence lawyers had challenged it, saying that there were discrepancies in the accounts of the witnesses. The SIT however, had responded to this by saying that all the witnesses were from a certain social background and were possibly intimidated when they were recording their statements.

Three years later, the Supreme Court had reportedly stayed the proceedings after the SIT complained that high court judge Ravi R Tripathi (now retired) was “expeditiously hearing only the appeal of Kodnani”, reports The Indian Express.

A year later another judge, Justice Akil Kureshi, had excused himself from the case, after senior lawyer B B Naik joined the case, saying it would amount to “conflict of interest.”

April, 2018:

The division bench of the Gujarat High Court acquitted Kodnani on Friday, 20 April, saying that testimonies of the key witnesses were taken eight years after the incident took place and that their accounts were “contradictory”.

Kodnani’s claim that she was 30 kilometres away at Sola Civil Hospital at the time the riots broke out at Naroda Patiya, was backed by BJP President Amit Shah, who had testified in September that he had seen her in the Gujarat Assembly and then at the Hospital. 

The bench however upheld the conviction - life imprisonment until death - for former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi’s, an accused in the case. It later reduced the sentence to 21 years of imprisonment without remission, reports The Indian Express.

Out of the 32 people sentenced by the SIT in 2012, the bench acquitted 18 people, including Maya Kodnani and upheld the conviction of 13, including Babu Bajrangi.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and NewsBytes)