2002 Godhra riots case: SC asks lower court to conclude trial in 3 months

NEW DELHI: The Supreme court today gave three months for completion of the trial in a Ahmedabad court concerning the killing of three British nationals by a mob during post Godhra riots of 2002 in Gujarat.

"We have perused the letter dated November 11 written by the trial judge. In the said letter, he has sought further time to complete the trial.

"We are satisfied with the reasons for the request. Accordingly, we grant another three months time to dispose of the sessions case," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said.

The apex court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had probed the nine riots cases including the killing of three British nationals during post-Godhra riots in the state.

On February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning incident, Imran Dawood, his uncles Saeed Dawood, Shakeel Dawood and Mohammad Aswat were attacked by a mob in Prantij town of Sabarkantha district in Gujarat.

Saeed, Shakeel, Aswat and their car driver Yusuf Piraghar (a local) were burnt alive, while Imran managed to save himself with the help of police.

He recorded his testimony from the UK in April 2010 through video conferencing.

The apex court had, on October 26, 2010, asked the lower court to go ahead with the trial in all nine riots cases, probed by the SIT, with a direction that it would not pronounce its judgement.

Later, the court has said it would consider lifting the order staying the pronouncment of judgement by the trial court in the case relating to the killing of three British nationals.