MUMBAI: Top Shiv Sena leader and parliamentarian Madhukar Sarpotdar along with two other Sena workers, Jaywant Parab and Ashok Shinde, were yesterday sentenced to one-year imprisonment and a fine of Indian rupees 5,000 each by a special court judge R.C. Bapat for inciting Hindu-Muslim riots in 1993.
The accused were found guilty of inciting Sena workers to indulge in violence during the Hindu-Muslim communal riots in Mumbai in 1992-93. The court, however, acquitted three other Sena workers for lack of evidence. The court permitted the accused to appeal to the Mumbai High Court against their conviction till Aug. 16.
Surprisingly, the judge granted bail to all the accused immediately after announcing the sentence. The police in the charge sheet presented to the court alleged that on Dec. 27, 1992, Sarpotdar breached the prohibitory orders banning assembly of four or more persons at a place imposed by the Mumbai police. He then held a public meeting in the premises of Ganesh temple in Bandra suburb, where he gave inflammatory speeches against the Muslim community.
After Sarpotdar’s speech, thousands of Sena workers raised anti-Muslim slogans and soon clashes between the Hindus and Muslims erupted, the police told the court. Along with Sarpotdar, five other Sena workers were arrested and charges framed against them for inciting violence and hatred against another community.
The hearing in the case resumed yesterday in the special court. Evidences of all witnesses in the case were already over earlier. The arguments of the prosecution and defense counsel were completed on Tuesday.
