NEW DELHI // A former Gujarat state minister burst into tears when sentenced to 28 years in prison yesterday for her role in riots that led to the deaths of 97 Muslims in 2002.
Maya Kodnani, who was convicted on Wednesday for murder and other charges including inciting religious hatred, was given separate sentences of 10 years and 18 years, to be served consecutively.
The principal judge, Jyotsna Yagnik, called the former minister "the kingpin of the religious riots".
"In a way she has helped the entire crime," Judge Yagnik said.
Thirty-one others were also sentenced yesterday.
Babu Bajrangi, a leader of a Hindu right-wing group called the Bajrang Dal, received the longest sentence - life without parole.
The others were also sentenced to life imprisonment, but some will be eligible for release after 24 years, and others after 31 years.
Kodnani was led out of the court crying.
The prosecutors had sought capital punishment, arguing that the brutality in the case was among the "rarest of rare" necessary for the death penalty in India.
The riot, which took place in the Ahmedabad suburb of Naroda Patiya in February 2002 as one of many across Gujarat, was triggered by the deaths of nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims in train fire that was initially blamed on Muslims.
Minister, from page 1
Hindus rampaged through Muslim neighbourhoods in some of India's worst religious riots.
Human rights groups say more than 2,000 people, mainly Muslims, were hacked, beaten or burnt to death, while government figures put the toll at about 1,000.
More than 100 others have been convicted for killing Muslims during the riots.
Bajrangi was caught on video boasting about passing out weapons and ordering people to kill Muslims.
The convictions were expected to deliver a political blow to Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi, who has been in office since 2001, made Kodnani a minister in his cabinet well after allegations against her began to surface.
But Madhav Nalapat, a professor of geopolitics at Manipal University, said Mr Modi would survive Kodnani's conviction.
"If 1984 did not hurt Rajiv Gandhi, the reality is that this is unlikely to hurt Narendra Modi," he said, referring to the deaths of hundreds during anti-Sikh riots in Delhi after Sikh bodyguards assassinated Indira Gandhi, the prime minister.
Teesta Setalvad, an activist who lobbied for rioters to be prosecuted, told the CNN-IBN television channel: "The judge has also made very strong observations about communal violence … calling it a cancer that is eroding our society, and this is a very welcome observation."
ssubramanian@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
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What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
