Ahmedabad court acquits 26 accused in 2002 Post-Godhra riot case after 24 years

A City Civil and Sessions Court in Ahmedabad has acquitted 26 individuals charged in connection with the 2002 communal riots, citing a lack of substantive evidence and the prosecution's failure to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The case, registered at the Gaekwad Haveli Police Station, involved allegations of unlawful assembly, rioting, dacoity, and arson. According to the prosecution, on May 12, 2002, a mob of 1,500 to 2,000 people gathered near the Vasant Rajab Police Chowki and Kachni Masjid areas. The mob was accused of using stones, petrol bombs, and rocket launchers to target police personnel and residential properties following the Godhra train incident.

The accused were charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code (1860), the Explosive Substances Act (1884), and the Gujarat Police Act (1951). However, during the trial, the prosecution's narrative crumbled as key witnesses failed to identify the accused.

A primary panch witness refused to support the contents of the document. Police witnesses admitted they could not identify the individuals in the mob due to the time laps of 23 years since the incident.

Furthermore, no identification parade was conducted, and the police failed to produce duty diaries or official logs to corroborate their presence at the scene. The court noted that many witnesses had passed away or were untraceable during the long trial. Finding no evidence of the accused's involvement in the violent acts, the court ordered immediate acquittal of the accused involved in the offence.