Thursday, March 28, 2024
spot_img

Gulberg mob frenzy started in the morning, no trace of Jafri firing

Date:

Share post:

spot_img
spot_img

Ahmedabad: Special SIT court judge P.B. Desai’s verdict in the Gulberg Society massacre states that the mob of thousands which killed 69 people would not have attacked the residents had former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri not fired at them from his private revolver, but witnesses and police records have said the killing spree started in the colony right in the morning and the firing could have happened only in the afternoon.
Backing this, at the same time, are official records of Ahmedabad Police Control Room (PCR) which state that despite desperate calls for help by Meghaninagar Police Inspector K.G. Erda to his seniors to send forces immediately since he alone could not handle such a large mob, they did not act. This was at least two hours before 2.30 p.m., when Ehsan Jafri was supposed to have fired from his revolver and “provoked” the mob.
It is also on record that Ehsan Jafri, who was mercilessly killed, was making incessant desperate calls to police officials, political leaders and bureaucrats for help. But to no avail.
Tanvir Jafri, Jafri’s son, told IANS that, “Our houses were looted, plundered and set on fire right since the morning. How could they find my father’s revolver and cartridges from the ashes? The police does not have a single witness who saw my father firing. This is complete humbug and a blatant lie.” He asserted, “I am shocked by the judgment. It is the prosecution which is to be blamed for not putting up a strong case. If the police makes such a weak case, the court will eventually go by what is produced.”
A key eyewitness and survivor, Imtiyaz Khan, told IANS that Ehsan Jafri could have opened fire only after exhausting all his efforts and calls for help to stop that huge mob.
Besides, he says Additional Police Commissioner M.K. Tandon had personally come to their society in the morning and assured Jafri that adequate forces will be sent and then left the place. Nobody came. Half an hour later, around 10.30 a.m., the attack started with the mob first pelting stones at the Gulberg Society.
“Jafri-saab may have opened fire, but when? Only and only after we all were left completely helpless. Nobody is bothering to find out why did Jafri-saab have to fire? Did he open fire just like that? You think he was fiddling with his revolver like a toy when a mob of 20,000 was attacking?” Imtiyaz asserted.
“I have not seen Jafri-saab firing, I am not sure if anybody else had or not. We had taken shelter in his bungalow. But I am saying that even if you assume that he did open fire, he was not doing it for fun,” he added.
In his 20s, Imtiyaz Khan and his family had taken shelter on the upper storey of Jafri’s building, and this is why they escaped the crowd. He was present when Ehsan Jafri was making calls. “He was calling senior police officials, politicians and even Narendra Modi in my presence,” Imtiyaz said, adding that his testimony is in court records.
He says, “When a crowd had started gathering near the society, Tandon-saab (Additional Police Commissioner) came. He was there for a few minutes, gave an assurance that nothing will happen, and left. Half an hour later, around 10.30 (a.m.), the attack started,” he said. “He (Tandon) had not come empty handed, he came with the Vraj truck (riot combat truck) and went away with it, I have seen it, we have all seen it.”
Teesta Setalvad, whose Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) had also taken up cudgels for Zakia Jafri, widow of Ehsan Jafri, told IANS: “Why only eyewitnesses, even official witnesses of the police have stated that the build-up had started right from 9 a.m. and the frenzy continued beyond 1 p.m. on that day. And they have also testified that Tandon went there with the riot combat vehicle, did nothing and went away.”
“I wonder how the prosecution advocates just glossed over the main events between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., of which there are voluminous testimonies. It is clear that the prosecution did not put up a strong case, otherwise the judge would have considered these vital facts,” she asserted.
Going by the Ahmedabad police control room (PCR) call records, it is clear that the safety of the entire Meghaninagar area during the most crucial period of the day, from 11.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., was put on Police Inspector K.G. Erda’s shoulders despite the fact that Erda had himself asked the PCR to inform his bosses about the gravity of the situation, and also to ensure that senior officers remained physically present as things were beyond his control. (IANS)

spot_img
spot_img

Related articles

MHA extends AFSPA in parts of Arunachal and Nagaland for 6 more months

New Delhi/Kohima/Itanagar, March 28:  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act...

Indian equities close the fiscal year on a positive note

New Delhi, March 28:  Indian equities closed the day and fiscal year on an optimistic note as buying...

‘Unacceptable, unwarranted’: India again slams US’ remarks on Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi, March 28: Calling the US State Department's remarks on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind...

Congress veteran Pratap Bhanu Sharma will take on BJP stalwart Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Vidisha

Bhopal, March 28: With the Congress on Wednesday fielding veteran Pratap Bhanu Sharma against BJP stalwart and former...