A special trial court in Gujarat that is hearing the 2002 Naroda Gaam riots case has asked former state minister Maya Kodnani to get Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah to testify in her favour by September 12, NDTV reported. The court said this was Kodnani’s last chance to produce Shah’s testimony in her defence and that there will be no further adjournments.
Shah and 13 others were listed as defence witnesses in her trial. Besides Shah, all others have already been cross-examined by the court.
On Monday, Kodnani had told the court that she had not been able to get in touch with Shah because of his busy schedule. Kodnani had sought time till September 12 to get his testimony, however, the court gave her time only till September 8.
“It is difficult to decide as to which address the summons be served to him,” Kodnani had said in her application, according to The Hindu.
Kodnani has claimed that on February 28, 2002, the day of the riots in Gujarat, she was with Shah at the Gujarat Assembly.
Kodnani is the key accused in the Naroda Gaam massacre case and was convicted in the Naroda Patiya case. She has been accused of inciting and leading a mob to carry out violent attacks in Naroda Gam, leading to the death of 11 Muslims. She was convicted in 2012 for her role in Naroda Patiya massacre and sentenced to 28 years in prison.
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