Date of crime: 28^th February 2002
Place: Javan Nagar,Naroda Patia, Ahmedabad.
Respondent: Jannat Kallu Bhai Sheikh
Form number: A 72.

Witness: This witness has 11 members in the family, of which 8 have been murdered, two after being raped. Rest three has received serious injuries.

"It was morning and I was cooking. My husband, my three children and I were in my house while my mother in law, my brother in law and his wife along with their three children was in the adjoining house. A mob of 5000 came and we started running. We were cornered from all the sides. SRP (State Reserve Police) personnel were also chasing us. It was 6.30 by now in the evening. The mob caught hold of my Husband and hit him on his head twice with the sword. They threw petrol in his eyes and than burned him. My sister in law was stripped and raped. She had three-month baby in her lap. They threw petrol on her and the child from her lap was thrown in the fire. My brother in law was hit in the head with the sword and he died on the spot. His six-year-old daughter was also hit with the sword and thrown in the fire. My mother in law had with her the grand son who was four years of age and he was burnt too. We were that time hiding on the terrace of a building. My mother in law with her heavy body was unable to climb the stairs so she was on the ground. My mother in law told them to take away whatever money she had but to spare the children. They took away all the money and jewelry and burnt the children with petrol. (mother in law was raped too) I witnessed all this. Unmarried girls from my street were stripped, raped and burnt. A 14 year old such girl was killed by piercing an iron rod in her stomach. All this ended at 2.30 A.M. The ambulance came on the scene and I sat in it along with bodies of my husband and children. I have injury marks on my both my thighs and left hand that was caused by the police beating. My husband, my daughter and son had 48%, 95% and 15% burns respectively. Both my husband and daughter died in the hospital after three days"

This witness says, "The police was on the spot but helping the mob. We fell in their feet but they said they were ordered from above (Not to help). Since the telephone wires were snapped could not inform the fire brigade".

Date of crime: 28^th February 2002
Place: Jawan Nagar, Naroda, Ahmedabad.
Form no. A 463
Respondent: Abdul Majid Usman. Witness: He has 11 members in the family and now only four has survived. One of the family members was raped. Two survivors have been injured.
Name of victim: Suphia Bano aged 22 years.

"My house has a small grocery store and I was there in the store. A mob came from Chharanagar. 500 strong mob came from kubernagar. 2000 strong mob came. They started riot, burning houses. We ran to nearby Gangotri society and took shelter on the terrace. The mob started burning people at around 5 or 6 o’clock in the evening. The mob stripped all the girls of the locality including my 22-year-old daughter and raped them. My daughter was engaged. 7 members of my family were burnt that includes my wife (age 40), my son (18), my son (14), my son (7), my daughter (4), my daughter (2). Police did nit allow me to climb down from the terrace. My 8-year-old son has survived with 20 % burn injuries and he remembers his mother. What can I do? My house and shop has been burnt."

"My daughter who later died in the civil hospital told me that those who raped her were in sorts. They hit her on the head and burnt. She had 80% burn injuries."

"SRP beat us. Said they did not have orders (to protect us). An employee of the ST (state transport) depot provided oil and diesel to burn. The phone lines were snapped."

Date of crime: 28^th February 2002
Form No. A 75
Place: Jawan Nagar, Naroda Patia, Near Noorani Masjid, Ahmedabad.
Witness: She and her family survived but this is what she witnessed.
Respondent: Mohamad Milkat Ali Kulfi Vala
Name of Victims: Farzana Bano Ayub Khan Kale Khan aged 25 and Mumtaz Bano Sheikh aged 45 years

(Our locality) on one side has the ST (state transport) workshop and on the other side SRP quarters. Gangotrinagar society has been newly constructed. All community people stay here. We were cooking and were informed to be in the house only as there was tension in the area. We went to the nearby society and took shelter on the terrace. People form the Hindu society told us to take shelter in their houses. There were only men in there and none of the women and children. Then they told us to escape towards Naroda (an area). We requested them to allow us escape towards the SRP (colony). SRP said, ‘ 24 hours have been given to beat you up’. Society (place of refuge) brought us out on the road and told us to go to Naroda. We disagreed knowing that it is a far place. So they started beating us with sticks, hockey sticks and pipes. They accused us that we had come there to riot and asked us to get out. We came out to face a big mob armed with sharp weapons, kerosene and petrol cans. We refused to go towards the mob so they told us that they have been assigned to protect us. All adult male were then beaten, fallen on the ground and burnt. The residents of the gopinath society segregated young girls (Muslims) and made them stand on one side. They were raped and we watched this as some of us were on the terrace.

We were 400-500 people on the terrace. The girls (rape victims) include Ruksana, Kheroon, Noorjahan, Farzana, five in all. The girls were stripped and then two men held them down by legs and arms. Those who raped were 20-25 in number. The girls screamed so loud that even now when I remember my blood boils.

They were given twenty-four hours time (to beat us). If we were given even two hours time we would have shown them (dealt with them). I know the face of the persons who raped. The rape started at 6.00 in the evening until 9.00 at night. The girls were then burnt. I still remember their loud screams. When Asif khan, a 25-year-old youth pleaded SRP to let us go he was beaten up badly and he managed with difficulty to get out of their hold. We can identify the SRP men. We can also identify the residents of Gopinath society.

Asif called Nawabkhan in Sahalam and police came in four cars but they were stoned. We felt that some (perpetrators) were dressed as policeman. When the first housing colony was set ablaze, we feel, the fire brigade was stoned and sent back. 11 of our youth died in private gun firing."

Date of crime: 28^th February 2002
Form No.: G 459
Place: Gulmarg society, chamanpura, Ahmedabad.
Witness: (1) Male (2) Female.
Name of respondent: Jetun bibi Anvar Khan Pathan
Address: 18, Gulbarga Society, Chamanpura, Ahmedabad.
Name of victim: Sajida Bano Pathan

He had seven members in his family. Five have died including one raped and murdered. All burnt alive. One survivor has been injured. The second witness had also seven members in the family but today all except a baby of 2 and half years are no more. The dead include one victim of rape.

The incident relates the famous case of Gulmarg society, where 66 and more people have been burnt alive in a housing colony of 18 families. These are some details from the testimony of the victims.

1. The ex Member of Parliament was murdered too. He made at least 200 telephones to the police and the chief minister, central home minister etc. but of no help.

2. The police was present and at some point the police commissioner visited the place too. But when he departed from the scene, the mob grew very large and the police fled from the scene.

3. The crowd was swelling since morning and the calls for protection failed for six hours when the gruesome offence was committed.

4. The mob strength was estimated to more than 5000 and it was armed with swords, pipes, acid bottles, kerosene, petrol, hockey sticks, stones, trishuls etc. The mob destroyed the boundary wall and attacked.

5. The telephone lines were later snapped after the society was set on fire. With a view that the fire brigade could not douse off the fire.

6. The perpetrators identified are the workers and local officials of VHP, Bajrangdal etc.

7. The persons killed in the family of these two witnesses include, with age in the bracket are: Imran Pathan (19), Ifran Pathan (22), Mariyambibi Pathan (48), Gulzar pathan (58), Firdausbanu- she was gang raped before burnt (25), Anwarkhan (63), Sajidabanu (21), Jamilabanu (40), Kherunnisa (80), Akhtarkhan (25), Sadabkhan (5). All dead had injuries of sharp weapons but died due to burns.