Gujarat riot victim Rupa Mody resolves to fight for justice

Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (ANI): Rupa Mody, a victim of 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, who lost her only son in the violence, on Sunday recounted the horror on the 10th anniversary of the carnage and expressed resolve to continue her fight for justice.ody, whose life inspired the film 'Parzania', alleged that nearly 25000 rioters attacked the Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad in a well-planned manner and despite repeated requests the administration refused to provide protection.

"A group of nearly 25,00 rioters arrived at Gulbarg Society and attacked us. It was a well-planned attack. We had been asking for help whole day. My husband was out of house. But nobody gave us help. Atleast 68 people were killed, 29 are missing and one of them is my son," Rupa told ANI in Ahmedabad.

Rupa and her husband Dara Mody continue to wait for their son Azhar to come back homehe further said that she herself spoke to the then police commissioner and sought help.

"I talked to the police commissioner. If we had got protection, even Jaffery made so many call, my husband was in police station, if they (administration) had helped us such a huge incident would not have taken place," she added.

Pinning her hopes on the special investigation team, which was set up by the Supreme Court to probe the riots, the victim said she would fight for justice till her last breath.

"We didn't get justice in Gujarat. We went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has set up a SIT. We have extended full support and provided evidence to it. But still many culprits are roaming around. We have not given hope for justice. We will fight for justice till we are alive," added Rupa.

One of the worst communal violence in India, the riots began at the Godhra railway station after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims was set on fire and killed 59 pilgrims.

A mob of Muslim men was blamed for starting the fire in retaliation for the destruction of a mosque by Hindu extremists.

The killing of more than 2000 people, mostly Muslims, led to widespread allegations of inaction and even connivance of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his administration with the rioters.

The SIT, which submitted its controversial report to a lower court in Ahmedabad, had allegedly given a clean chit to Modi in the riot case. (ANI)