A special trial court acquitted all six accused in the 2002 British nationals' murder during 2002 riots in Prantij Town of North Gujarat on Friday on the grounds of lack of evidences.

Principal district judge of Sabarkantha IC Shah, who presided over the special trial court, gave the judgement saying that the prosecution failed to prove all the allegations against the accused. Co-incidentally the judgement came on the 13th anniversary of the Godhra train carnage, which occurred near Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002.

Among the six accused, who are facing charges of murder, rioting and other allied offences, are Mithabhai Patel, Chandubhai Patel, Manoj Patel, Ramesh Patel, Kalabhai Patel and Rajesh Patel. They had allegedly killed four people, including three British nationals a day after the Godhra train carnage on February 28, 2002 near Prantij.

The killing was a part of state-wide violence erupted following the Godhra train carnage in which 59 karsevaks travelling in the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express were set on fire and burned to death by a mob of a particular community.

Imran Dawood lodged a complaint against the accused. Dawood came to Gujart along with his UK-based uncles - Saeed Dawood, Shakeel Dawood and Mohammed Aswat in February 2002. When they were travelling on highway near Prantij an enraged mob attacked on them. His three uncles died in that incident, but Imaran somehow survived. later on, he lodged complaint and the case was given to the Supreme Court appointed special investigation team.

The prosecution examined 81 witnesses in the case including two senior officials of British High Commissioner's office. Their statements were recorded by the trial court through video conference on communication application Skype. The complainant in the case couldn't identify the accused during the trial. He, however, maintained that accused looked like the ones who killed his relatives.