India’s top HRs body urges retrial over Gujarat massacre

By: Irfan Malik

NEW DELHI, India: The National Human Rights Commission which is India's top human rights body has asked the Supreme Court to order a retrial of 21 Hindus acquitted over the killing of 12 Muslims in last year's Gujarat riots after a key witness, 19-year-old Muslim Zaheera Sheikh, said she was frightened by politicians.

In its petition, the NHRC said it was deeply concerned about the damage to the credibility of the criminal justice delivery system urging the court to hold a new trial outside of the riot-scarred western state of Gujarat.

During Gujarat riots, a group of Hindus attacked the Best Bakery on March 1, 2002 with petrol bombs and knives burning to death 12 Muslims. 21 men charged with the attack were acquitted on June 27 after 35 witnesses retracted statements.

Zaheera Sheikh approached the NHRC about holding a new trial out of Gujarat as she said she was could not tell the truth at the hearing in Gujarat after death threats by local leaders of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's Hindu nationalist BJP party.

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