General
Best Bakery Case: Mumbai Sessions Court Acquits 2 In 2002 Incident Which Killed 14
A sessions court in Mumbai on Tuesday acquitted two persons for their role in the Best Bakery incident that took place during the 2002 Gujarat riots in which 14 persons died, including women and children. The duo Harshad Solanki and Mafat Gohil were absconding along with two other accused Jayantibhai Gohil and his son Ramesh Gohil and hence not available for a retrial ordered by the apex court in 2004.
The absconding accused other than Jayathibhai were arrested by the NIA in connection with the Ajmer bomb blast and later transferred his custody in this case. The father and son died during custody and only Solanki and Mafat Gohil remained to face retrial.
All 21 Accused Acquitted
The case had been remanded by the order of the apex court for a retrial in Maharashtra after the trial in a Gujarat sessions court had ended in the acquittal of all 21 accused in 2003, mostly due to hostile witnesses and lack of sufficient evidence. The Gujarat High Court too had upheld the decision of the trial court.
Case transferred out of Gujarat
One of the victims and an NGO had moved to the apex court in an appeal against the HC decision. The Supreme Court while directing a retrial and permitting further investigation in 2004, had observed in its order that the investigation was tainted and that the prosecution had examined relatives of the accused in support of its case.
After the retrial against 17 persons, in 2006, the Mumbai sessions court had convicted nine persons and acquitted eight.
What is Best Bakery Case?
The incident had taken place on Mar 1, 2002 between 8 and 9.30 pm and went on till morning of the next day. It happened during the Gujarat riots that broke out in the aftermath of the Godhra train burning in which two bogies of the Sabarmati Express in which karsevaks were travelling, were set on fire by a mob.
In the fateful incident at Best Bakery, a mob of 1,000 to 1,200 persons had marched towards the establishment. Seeing the mob, the members of the Habibulla Sheikh family that ran the establishment, ran to the building’s first floor and locked the door. The mob armed with lethal weapons like swords and torches attacked the bakery with soda bottles and bottles filled with kerosene set on fire while the victims were trapped in the Bakery building.
A godown containing timber in the basement of the building was set on fire too. Some men were allowed by the mob to come out, but then assaulted with swords and such weapons, being tied to poles. Women were taken behind the bushes with the intent of rape. Only four injured persons survived to narrate the incident. Among those who died, were three helps of the family – all of the same religion as the mobsters.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA has appealed to Muslims to hold a Batti Gul protest against the Waqf Act and has said that the All India Muslim Personal Labor Board has requested that as a protest, they should keep the lights of their homes, houses, mosques and other places off while participating in the Batti Gul protest. This protest should be held by keeping the lights off for 9:15 am. Abu Asim Azmi said that the government has brought this act to illegally occupy Waqf properties. There is anger and resentment among Muslims against this act. Muslims should register their protest against this act of the government on 30th April.
Maharashtra
Saki Naka Police’s big action, drug factory exposed, drug dealer arrested, MD’s factory and equipment seized
Mumbai: Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested drug dealers by seizing MD Drugs’ drug factory in Mira Bhayandar area. According to details, Sadiq Saleem Sheikh, 28, a resident of Bandra Rahul Nagar, was arrested on April 24, followed by Siraj Sultan Panjawani, 57, a resident of Mira Road. A total of Rs 8.15 crore worth of drugs have been seized from the possession of both of them. Saki Naka Police had arrested Saleem Sheikh, 28, on suspicion from Kaju Pada on April 24. Drugs were seized from his possession.
The police traced the resident of Siraj Sultan Panchwani Mira Road and found a drug factory in Mira Bhayandar Common village. Four kilograms of MD was recovered from the factory in the bush. The police arrested two accused in a 60-hour investigation and seized a total of 4 kilograms and 53 grams of MD, the total value of which was more than Rs 8 crore. The police are investigating this matter, along with this, an investigation is also underway regarding the drug factory. This information was given by DCP Sachin Ganjal in a press conference here today. He said that Sakinaka has exposed this factory while working on a drug racket. This is a big success. Earlier also, the police had taken action against a drug factory worth crores of rupees and a factory was also exposed in UP and drugs worth Rs 10 lakh were recovered at that time.
Maharashtra
Police investigation reveals that the Vikhroli fruit seller is not a Bangladeshi but an Indian citizen
Mumbai: The 19 alleged Bangladeshis who were detained by Mumbai’s Vikhroli East police have all been proven to be Indian citizens. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had filed a complaint with the police regarding the Bangladeshis in Vikhroli market, on the basis of which the police took action and interrogated the alleged Bangladeshis and their documents were checked and investigated. It was found that all of them were Indian citizens. In this, the police took action and took into custody a total of 19 people including Shamshal Ayub Sheikh, 22-year-old fruit seller, Muhammad Manrul Sheikh, Saim Zia-ur-Rehman Sheikh, Naeem Ayub Sheikh. When they were investigated, it was found that all of them were Indian citizens. Out of these, 11 are residents of Sahibganj, Jharkhand, 7 are residents of West Bengal, Malda and one is a resident of Uttar Pradesh, this was informed by Senior Police Inspector Suryakant Naikwadi. After the way the operation was carried out in Vikhroli, these Indian workers and citizens were harassed. Will Kret Soumya now apologize in this matter because all of them have now been proven to be Indian citizens and not Bangladeshi citizens and this has been confirmed by the police.
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