A Sessions Court in Mumbai on Tuesday acquitted two accused in the second part of the infamous 2002 Best Bakery case in Gujarat. The accused, Harshad Solanki and Mafat Gohil, were absconding when the other accused faced trial in Mumbai, leading to a separate trial for them.
The Best Bakery case dates back to March 1, 2002, when a mob comprising over 1,000 people attacked the renowned Best Bakery in Vadodara during the Godhra Riots. Tragically, the incident resulted in the loss of fourteen innocent lives. Initially, the Gujarat police had booked 21 individuals on murder charges. However, in 2003, a Vadodara court acquitted all the accused. Subsequently, the Supreme Court ordered a retrial outside Gujarat in 2004 to ensure a fair investigation.
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In the Mumbai trial, retired Justice Abhay Thipsay, who was then a sessions court judge, found nine individuals guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment. Additionally, 12 accused were acquitted. However, in 2012, the Bombay High Court acquitted five of the nine accused while confirming the punishment for the remaining four. The High Court relied heavily on the testimonies of four eyewitnesses during the trial.
Harshad Solanki and Mafat Gohil had previously faced trial in the Vadodara court but had absconded during the retrial in Mumbai. They were subsequently arrested in 2013, and the trial against them began in 2019.
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During the recent proceedings, the evidence presented in the earlier Mumbai trial was used against Solanki and Gohil. However, they were granted the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses related to their identification. The Special Public Prosecutor, Manjula Rao, examined ten witnesses as part of the case.
Representing the accused, Advocate Prakash Salsingikar argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove their involvement in the incident. The defence team contended that the testimonies and other evidence presented did not conclusively establish their guilt.
Last year, Solanki, one of the accused, alleged witness tampering during the trial and sought the transfer of the case to another Additional Sessions Judge. The application also raised concerns about the role of activist Teesta Setalvad, citing her arrest by the Gujarat police and questioning her potential involvement in witness tampering. However, the application was ultimately rejected by the court.