Citing lack of evidence, a special trial court here today acquitted all the six accused in a case related to the killing of three British nationals during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
The deaths of the British nationals near Prantij town in Sabarkantha district had prompted the UK government to take a policy decision not to have active engagement with Gujarat government. UK resumed the engagement only in October 2012.
Representatives of the British High Commission to India were present in the court today.
"It seems there is no evidence on record from which it can be believed that the accused were members of the unlawful assembly and involved in commission of offence," said principal district and sessions judge I C Shah in the order.
The case had been probed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team. The accused were charged with murder and other relevant offences under the Indian Penal Code.
Three eyewitnesses produced by the prosecution (SIT) turned hostile, the court noted, adding that though the crime did take place, there was no one who could confirm the presence of the accused at the site.
It was the duty of the investigating officer to record statements of all the witnesses before the magistrate under section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code (such statements can not be retracted later), but this was not done, it added.
On February 28, 2002, as riots engulfed Gujarat a day after the Godhra train-burning incident, Imran Dawood and his UK-based uncles Saeed Dawood, Shakeel Dawood and Mohammad Aswat were attacked by a mob on the highway near Prantij.
Saeed, Shakeel, Mohammad Aswat and their car driver Yusuf Piraghar, a local, were burnt alive, while Imran managed to save himself with the help of police.
Those acquitted in the case today are Mithanbhai Patel, Chandu alias Prahlad Patel, Ramesh Patel, Manoj Patel, Rajesh Patel and Kalubhai Patel, all residents of Prantij.
