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| POTA court sentences 9 to life |
| A POTA court in Ahmedabad has delivered its verdict in the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. The court has found 12 persons guilty
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| INDIA
, 25-June-2007
10:19:36 AM |
| A POTA court in Ahmedabad has delivered its verdict in the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya. The court has found 12 persons guilty for the murder of Haren Pandya.
The court sentenced nine to life imprisonment, while two get seven years and one five years imprisonment.
Pandya a known Chief Minister Narendra Modi opponent was shot dead outside Law garden in Ahmedabad on March 26, 2003. The case was handed over to the CBI three days after the murder.
Pandya's father Vithal Pandya had alleged that the murder was a political one and had pointed fingers at Modi.
''I believe we have not got justice. Haren Pandya's political murder was carried out by Narendra Modi,'' said Vithal Pandya, Haren Pandya's father.
However, the CBI had arrested the main assailant, Asghar Ali from Hyderabad claiming that he was the one who had fired at Pandya.
The agency had alleged that Asghar had been contracted by Ahmedabad based cleric, Mufti Sufian for killing Pandya to avenge post Godhra riots.
Subsequently 14 others were arrested in connection with the murder, most of them from Ahmedabad.
A central POTA review committee had later stayed the proceedings against three of the accused and trial was initiated against 12 only.
''The CBI had taken into consideration all aspects including all the political and personal aspects. We reached the conclusion that it was a clear case of a terrorist act and that is what even the court has observed,'' said J M Panchal, CBI Counsel
The CBI claimed that Ashgar had fired at Pandya and was hired by Mufti Sufian, an Ahmedabad-based cleric to avenge the Gujarat riots.
During the trial, the Defence had pointed to several loopholes in the investigation. It had questioned the claims that Pandya was shot through a small opening of his car window.
Although Pandya took five bullets hardly any bloodstain was found inside the car.
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