Five get life term in Viramgam communal violence case

Joint District Sessions Judge of Viramgam D B Patel today held Purshottam Jadav, Chandubhai Jadav, Kumar Vithhalbhai Jadav, Nagar Mistry and Mahesh Patel guilty of murder of two persons, who died during the violence and awarded life imprisonment to them.

Viramgam is around 45 kms from the city.

"Court has also awarded fine in the range of Rs 60,000 to Rs 5,000 to the convicts and directed the amount to be given to the families of deceased Zakir Allarakha and Sharif Satabhai," said public prosecutor Navin Rathod.

"Two of the convicts, Purshottam Jadav and Chandu Jadav, were accused of resorting to private firing with their 12-bore pistols. Court has directed Purshottam to deposit fine of Rs 60,500," he added.

On November 2, 2003, a quarrel among children playing cricket on a ground opposite a local government dispensary had turned into communal riots.

Police had later arrested 39 accused, out of whom, two were juveniles.

After the committal of the case to the sessions court, trial began against the accused. However, four accused had died during the course of the trial and the court pronounced the judgement against 33 accused today.