A special court hearing the 2002 Naroda Gam riot case on Friday ordered that a criminal complaint be registered against Rais Khan, a former aide of social activist Teesta Setalvad, for fabricating evidence.
Designated Judge S.H. Vohra also rejected Mr Khan’s application to become a court witness in the post-Godhra case at Naroda Gam here, where 11 people of the minority community were killed during riots on February 28, 2002.
According to special public prosecutor Ajay Choksi, the court agreed to his contentions that Khan was involved in making false affidavits in the name of riot victims.
Mr Khan has admitted that he had acted on somebody’s orders in preparing false affidavits, he said. The court ordered the registrar of the sessions and civil court here to file an offence against Mr Khan and others under Sections 193 to 200 (all pertaining to fabrication of evidence and making false statements) of IPC.
Mr Choksi, representing the prosecution agency Special Investigation Team (SIT), last month had opposed Mr Khan’s application of becoming a court witness. He argued that Mr Khan had approached the court with an intention of helping some of the accused in the case, who have not opposed his plea. Mr Choksi had also questioned Mr Khan’s silence on the matter since the trial in the case began a year ago.
Mr Khan had further said he should be allowed to give his version as some of the witnesses in the case have alleged that he had manipulated their affidavits.