Amit Shah Has Three Days To Appear In Court As Kodnani’s Witness

Former minister and BJP leader Maya Kodnani’s has one last chance to get BJP national president Amit Shah as her defence witness in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, reports The Indian Express.

A key accused in the Naroda Gam riots case, Kodnani had on Monday asked the court for more time to “contact” Shah to serve him the summons to appear as her defence witness but the special trial court has refused to adjourn the case any further.

Citing his busy schedule as the reason for him being not "reachable” and that it was hence difficult to decide the address to which the summons had to be sent. Although he had sought time till 12 September, special judge P B Desai had granted her time till September 8 for Shah to testify. But since she was unable to manage the same, she sought more time from the court.

Twelve people out of the fourteen that she had sought examination of to prove her alibi have testified in her favour including her husband Surendra Kodnani, former deputy mayor and BJP corporator Dinesh Makwana, former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly Amrish Govindbhai Patel. They have testified that on 28 February 2002, the day the riots broke out in Naroda Gam in which 11 Muslims were killed, she was not at the scene of the crime.

Kodnani is among the 82 accused facing trial and has allegations of leading a mob of thousands of people and inciting violence. The trial court was ordered by the apex court last month to wrap up the hearing in the Naroda Gam case within four months.

She has been previously convicted on similar charges in 2012 and sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in Naroda Patiya massacre, a place close to Naroda Gam. The verdict has been challenged in the Gujarat High Court which has concluded its hearing and reserved the verdict.

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