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Former Indian Judge, Now Safe in New Zealand,
Discloses Modi Role in Gujarat Massacres
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Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Amidst threats to Judge Jyotsna Yagnik who had convicted Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajrangi and others for their involvement in the Gujarat 2002 mass-murders against the state’s Muslim minority, a former judge has now come forward and revealed that he and other judges were tried to be pressurized by the Gujarat State government (then ruled by Narendra Modi as Chief Minister) to act against the minority community following the pogrom.
Himanshu Trivedi, now settled and practicing in New Zealand, was a district cadre judge in Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court in 2002 when the massacres took place in different parts of the state following the Godhra train tragedy.
In a Facebook post three days ago, Trivedi, a former colleague of Justice Yagnik, wrote that the Gujarat government wanted the judges and judiciary to act against the minority community, and that he refused and resigned because he was sworn to the Constitution of India.
While appreciating the work of rights activist Teesta Setalvad, who has been fighting for justice for the victims of the Gujarat massacre since 2002, Trivedi wrote on his Facebook page on 1st Aug 2015:
"Teesta Setalvad. Hats off. I have always admired you and your courage and outspokenness on these issues. I also take this opportunity to state that I am indeed pained (and I am the one who had QUIT Gujarat's Judiciary … I was a district cadre judge in Ahmedabad City Civil and Sessions Court - once a colleague of the bravest judge Ms Jyotsna Yagnik) because they (the State of Gujarat) wanted us (the judges and the judiciary) of Gujarat to be acting against the minority community (albeit with no written orders but DEFINITELY communicated in loud and clear messages to us). I could not be part of it as I was sworn to the Constitution of India and not to the butchers ..."
Trivedi posted his comment while sharing a video talk of Teesta Setalvad which was uploaded on August 2, 2013. The topic of her talk was ‘Civil Society and Current Challenges to a United India.’
Trivedi's facebook profile describes him as Solicitor and Barrister at the Philip Lee Law Firm. He worked at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic in an earlier stint. Trivedi, who studied law at AUT University, now lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Meanwhile back home, activist Teesta Setalvad is facing a criminal case from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The federal agency last month raided her home and office in Mumbai a week after booking her and her husband Javed Anand for allegedly illegally receiving funds from abroad through their company Sabrang Communications and Publishing Pvt. Ltd. However, Teesta has denied the charges solely levelled against them as vendetta by the BJP government.
CBI has started probe on the request of the Gujarat government.
Since the Gujarat massacre of 2002, Teesta has been fighting for justice for the victims. In the post-Godhra train carnage 'riot', around 2000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the state then ruled by Narendra Modi as Chief Minister.
[Courtesy: India Tomorrow. Edited for sikhchic.com]
August 7, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Kaala Singh (Punjab), August 07, 2015, 2:35 PM.
There were some brave judges dealing with Gujarat cases but in the case of the 1984 Sikh carnage there was none. A butcher called Kishori Lal who hacked several Sikhs to death in November 1984 and was sentenced to death three times by the lower courts, but the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment and later it is learnt that this guy was released from prison on the grounds of "good behaviour". The same Supreme Court refuses to release Sikh prisoners even after they have completed their sentences! This is the Hindu "temple of justice" in action!
2: Major Singh (Amritsar, Punjab), December 07, 2016, 9:07 AM.
I fully believe what the judge has written. I ask any right-thinking unbiased Indian: is there law in India? Have politicians ever been sent to jail for their heinous crimes? There is no justice for the masses. There are three types of systems of justice in India: the best one for politicians; then one for rich people; and the worst for the masses. I feel ashamed of being in this country. But sadly unable to go away at this juncture at the age of 65.