SC favours designated court for post-Godhra riot cases

The Supreme Court on Monday favoured setting up of designated courts for the trial of the accused in the post-Godhra riot cases in Gujarat. A bench headed by Justice Arijit Pasayat asked the state government and senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, to place before it suggestions in this regard by Monday.

The bench was told that the Gujarat government has accepted the report of the apex court-appointed special investigating team headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation director R K Raghavan.

Referring to the report, the Gujarat state counsel Mukul Rohatgi said that the SIT has ruled out several of the allegations made against the government relating to the riots. He said that the report has clearly stated that NGOs, which had made allegations againt the BJP government, have given stereotype affidavits in almost all the riot cases. The SIT, which has investigated 10 cases including the Godhra train burning and subsequent riots cases, had submitted its report before the apex court in March.