GANDHINAGAR, June 6: A special POTA court today acquitted two
accused in the Akshardham temple terrorist attack case of 2002 for
lack of adequate evidence.
The special court verdict comes within a month of the Supreme Court acquitting all six convicts, including three condemned prisoners, in the Akshardham temple attack case on May 16. Special POTA Judge Geeta Gopi acquitted Shaukat Ghori and Majid
Patel, who were arrested on a later stage. Shaukat and Majid were accused of raising funds for Jehadi activities. While delivering the verdict, Judge Geeta Gopi incorporated with the recent Supreme Court judgement which had not relied upon the testimonies of some of the witnesses. Earlier on May 16, the apex court had acquitted all six convicts,
including three condemned prisoners, quashing the orders of the trial court and the Gujarat High Court by which three persons were
awarded death sentence.
The apex court had also criticised Gujarat police for shoddy probe of the case. The police had registered the case against the all the accused under the stringent anti-terror law, Prevention of
Terrorism Act.
Earlier, Special POTA court judge Sonia Gokani, had on July 1, 2006, delivered the judgement in the terrorist attack of Akshardham temple at the state capital Gandhinagar on September 24, 2002.
Two militants, identified as Murtuza Hafiz Yasin and Ashraf Ali
Mohammed Farooq, allegedly having links with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayiba, had attacked the Akshardham temple belonging to the Swaminaryan sect in Gandhinagar using automatic weapons and hand grenades.
They had killed 32 people, including 28 temple visitors, three commandos — including one from the NSG, and a constable of the State Reserve Police. Around 86 devotees were injured in the incident.
The militants were killed by National Security Guard commandos during the attack on the temple.
(UNI)_
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