Dipda Darwaza case gets new prosecutors

AHMEDABAD: The Supreme Court-mandated special investigation team (SIT) has appointed advocate Mukesh Brahmbhatt and Suresh Thakur as new special prosecutors to conduct trial in the post-Godhra riots case of Dipda Darwaza in Mehsana district.
The new appointments were made after advocate P R Agrawal and his assistant sought to resign from the post. However, they later took a U-turn and wanted to withdraw the letter written to SIT chief R K Raghavan to permit them to retire from the case.
When contacted, advocate Brahmbhatt said he would appear in the proceeding at the Mehsana court on June 23, but would seek an adjournment from the court so that he is able to go through voluminous documents of the case, where in 11 person were killed and 84 persons are being tried for the offence.
Earlier, the prosecutor had on May 17, written a letter to Raghavan seeking retirement citing non co-operation by the trial judge S C Srivastava to hear the prosecution arguments in the case. Moreover, a victim-witness also sought his removal from the case, expressing dissatisfaction to his conducting the trial. "It was a situation quite offending and therefore I wrote to SIT seeking permission to resign," Agrawal said about his resignation.
On withdrawing his letter, Agrawal wrote to SIT chief that he received a letter from the witnesses written to the SC, whereby they had shown no dissatisfaction with him. It seemed that the SIT did not consider his second request.
The trial in the Dipda Darwaza case is at the final stage of arguments.