Akshardham case: JNU students protest, seek damages for the acquitted

New Delhi: Scores of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University today staged a protest at Jantar Mantar against the Gujarat Government and Narendra Modi, demanding compensation for six convicts who were acquitted by the Supreme Court in the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack case in Gandhinagar. Students, under the banner of JNU Students’ Union, were scheduled to protest outside Gujarat Bhawan, but police did not allow them and took their bus, in which they were travelling, to Jantar Mantar where they staged protest and raised slogans against PM-elect Modi. [caption id=“attachment_1528591” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of security personnel inspecting Akshardham temple premises after the attack in 2002. AFP[/caption] “We want Gujarat Government and Narendra Modi, who also looked after the State Home Ministry, to announce sufficient compensation for six innocent persons, who had been implicated by the state government. These persons have spent around 11 years in jail despite the fact that they had nothing to do with the attack,” Sandeep Saurav, general secretary of JNUSU, said. The students also demanded strict action against officials, “who were involved in implicating these innocent people.” “While acquitting all persons, the apex court had slammed state agencies, which investigated this case. JNU students wants Gujarat Government to fulfill our demands else we would soon intensify our agitation,” Sandeep said. The Supreme Court on May 16 acquitted all six convicts, including three condemned prisoners, in 2002 Akshardham temple attack case and pulled up the Gujarat Police for shoddy investigation in the case in which all the accused faced prosecution under the stringent anti-terror law POTA. PTI