Gujarat Court to examine ex-British envoys in post-Godhra riot case

The Times of India

Court to examine ex-British envoys in post-Godhra riot case

PTI | Jul 31, 2011, 09.19PM IST

AHMEDABAD: A special court, hearing the post-Godhra riot case where four persons including three British nationals were killed in Sabarkantha district, has allowed an application seeking examination of three witnesses including top officials of the British High Commission.

The application was filed by the original complainant and prime witness in the case, Imran Dawood, a British national himself who had survived the attack on him and others near Prantij in Sabarkantha on February 28, 2002.

Special Judge Geeta Gopi hearing the case on Friday issued summons to the then deputy-British High Commissioners - Ian Reakes and Howard Parkinson. Court also summoned one of the relatives of the deceased, Bashir Sufi, who too is a British national. Imran had appeared before court through video conferencing from London.

The court had permitted examination of these witnesses after the prosecuting agency, Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) gave consent for it.

All three would be examined as prosecution witness on day-to-day basis through video conferencing, and the expenses in this regard will be borne by Dawood.

According to case details, three British nationals Saeed Dawood, Mohammed Aswat Nallabhai, Shakil Dawood and their Gujarati driver Yusuf Sulaiman were burnt to death during the post-Godhra violence on National Highway 8 near Prantij.