MUMBAI, 25 October 2007 — A day ahead of a major rally planned by 40 Muslim organizations and religious leaders seeking the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission report, the Congress-led Democratic Front (DF) government in Maharashtra yesterday announced the establishment of four special courts that will hear 16 cases related to the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai.
The state government also announced the re-arrest of 21 absconding accused 14 years after the Mumbai riots. Various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and Muslim outfits have demanded implementation of the Srikrishna panel recommendations.
Rakesh Maria, joint commissioner of police (crime), said that acting on the recommendations of a special committee, the Bombay High Court set up four courts to hear the cases.
The special courts will begin trial immediately. A state Home Department official said that the appointments of the judges on the four courts are on temporary basis.
Reacting to the appointment of the special courts, activist Teesta Setavald said, “We have demanded the formation of a special task force for the retrial of the cases and a list of upright officials was submitted to the government last week. If the reinvestigation is not done properly the purpose of special courts will not be served,” she added.
R.R. Patil, state deputy chief minister and home minister, told journalists that the state’s Law and Judiciary Department had written to the High Court to set up special courts to try cases related to the December 1992 and January 1993 communal riots. The state government has also appointed some prosecutors including those recommended by the NGOs, Patil said.
Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Chitkala Zutshi has written a letter to Madhukar Gupta, federal home ministry secretary, demanding that the families of those dead and missing in the communal riots should receive increased compensation. She cited the recent example of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots of Delhi in which the federal government increased the compensation amount for the kin of the victims.
The Srikrishna Commission probed into riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Mosque on Dec. 6, 1992 and the Mumbai serial blasts of March 12, 1993. Sixteen cases were short-listed by a government panel that reviewed 243 cases.
Rane Threatens to Break Up Sena
Reacting to the comments made against him by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Sunday, Narayan Rane, the state revenue minister, threatened to break up the Sena and criticized Thackeray’s about-turn on the nuclear deal with the US.
“The Sena is on its way to oblivion. There was nothing in Thackeray’s speech except derision, lampooning of leaders from other political parties, and no worthy guidance for his supporters,” Rane said.
“Thackeray has lost the sting and charm and even the hold over the organization and everyone on the stage at his rally looked as if they were in a state of “dilemma,” Rane said referring to the Sunday Dussehra rally and added that the response to the rally was extremely poor.
“There is no change in the thinking and ideas of Thackeray. The only change is fall in the number of people attending his rallies,” Rane added.
“I’m very eager to see the end of Sena” Rane said. He said 25 Sena legislators and six members of Parliament were in touch with him and he would split the Sena before the state assembly elections.
“I have asked these Sena legislators and MPs not to resign now and wait for the announcement of assembly polls. I am determined to teach the Sena chief the lesson of his life and finish the Sena,” Rane said.
