Gujarat HC upholds acquittal in two 2002 riot cases, cites lack of proof

The Gujarat High Court has upheld the acquittal of accused individuals in two separate cases linked to the 2002 communal riots, refusing to interfere with the decisions of the lower courts due to insufficient evidence.

The court dismissed appeals filed by the state government in 2003 and by a private complainant in 2007.

In one case from Vadodara, the bench upheld a 2003 sessions court ruling that acquitted five individuals accused of burning a man, Samsuddin alias Kasam Khan, alive during the violence.

According to the prosecution, a mob of nearly 200 people had attacked the victim’s house in February 2002 and set him on fire. However, the High Court observed that forensic reports failed to conclusively establish that the recovered remains belonged to the victim. Additionally, the primary complainant admitted being unable to identify the attackers due to the darkness at the time of the incident.

In another case from Panchmahal district, Justice HD Suthar dismissed a revision plea related to the alleged murder of a couple in Rameshwara village in March 2002. The court agreed with the trial court’s findings, noting significant contradictions in witness statements, a lack of identification of weapons, and the absence of any accused being apprehended at the scene.