SC acquits 2 Muslim youth in Ahmedabad riots case

New Delhi: Supreme Court of India has acquitted two Muslim youth who were sentenced to 10-years rigorous imprisonment in 2003 Ahmedabad riot case by the high court. The youth were pronounced life-term by the lower court on the charges of killing a non-Muslim man during the riots. However, after successful follow-up by Jamiat Maharashtra legal aid committee (Arshad Madani), the 3-member bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Naveen Sinha and Justice K M Joseph of the Supreme Court acquitted the two youth.

Riots occurred in Ahmedabad on November 7, 2003, between two communities, after which the police had arrested Osman Ghani alias Bhoora, Abdul Ghaffar, Younus Mohammed, Chand Mohammed Shaikh and other 7 Muslim youth for assaulting Baldar Parmar, Gitaben, Pratab Singh, Ajay Visant Lal and Mukesh.

The high court had replaced lower court’s life imprisonment with 10-year sentence against which an appeal was filed in Supreme Court at the behest of Jamiat Ulama. During the arguments, several mistakes of the lower court and high court were pointed out after which the 3-member team pronounced judgment in favour of the accused.

The acquitted youth are presently in Sabarmati jail.