Gujarat Minster distributed Swords to Massacre Muslims

The government in an affidavit
in the Gujarat High Court has said that state minister Maya Kodnani led the mob, instigated them and distributed weapons to carry out Naroda riot which left 95 people dead in 2002. The affidavit was filed in the court on Thursday on the basis of findings of Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court challenging anticipatory bail given to Kodnani by the lower court. "She was the leader of mob and was an MLA and allegations against her is she was instigating the mob to commit crime and therefore she was playing the main role," the affidavit said. The copy of the affidavit is with PTI. The affidavit said, "from one of the statements of witnesses it has been revealed that she had fired from her pistol, as well as, from another statement it has been revealed that she had come to the spot in a car with other persons and had distributed swords among the mob." Kodnani is a Minister of State for Higher Education in the Gujarat government and is regularly attending the ongoing Assembly session. Kodnani had gone underground after SIT declared her absconder and resurfaced only after the lower court granted anticipatory bail to her. The affidavit said she is a minister in the present government, so there are ample chances of tampering with prosecution witnesses by way of giving threat. It has said that about 15 witness have testified that a mob of around 15,000 people was headed by Kodnani and she was instigating the mob. Speaking about the lower court order, the affidavit says that lower court had passed the order of giving anticipatory bail to Kodnani without appreciating the affidavit placed on record by the prosecution, and without considering the papers of the investigation. The lower court's order granting anticipatory bail to Kodnani said that it is proved that she was part of the mob, but anticipatory bail was given to her on basis of parity as others who were part of the mob have been given bail.

The matter of anticipatory bail of Kodnani came up for hearing on Thursday, but Justice A S Dave of the Gujarat High Court declined to hear the petition saying "not before me".

Now the matter will come up for hearing in front of Justice D H Vaghela on February 24.

Over 95 people belonging to the minority community were killed and their properties destroyed in Naroda Patia and Naroda Gam by a mob on February 28, 2002 following the Godhra train buring incident.

Source