After 21 years, a special court in Ahmedabad gave the verdict in the Naroda Patiya case on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, Bajrang Dal leaders Babu Bajrangi and Jaideep Patel, and all others have been acquitted by the court in the case.
Following the verdict, the old debunked story about a woman’s foetus being ripped out of her stomach during the Gujarat riots once again started doing the rounds. The story which has been circulating for over 2 decades now, says that a pregnant Muslim woman was raped by a Hindu mob, her pregnant belly was slit open and her foetus was flung into the fire.
Some versions also included that the above act was done with a sword. The woman in question, who died during the riots, and whose foetus was allegedly ripped out, was one Kausar Bano.
Many Twitter users once again rehashed a version of the same story as they disagreed with the acquittals in the case.
Babu Bajrangi, a Bajrang Dal member who proudly claimed on video to have ripped open a pregnant woman's womb and carried the foetus on the tip of his sword during the Gujarat Genocide which made him feel like 'Maharana Pratap' today acquitted in Naroda Gam massacre case! pic.twitter.com/xt9sJ2GF3j
— Gabbar (@Gabbar0099) April 20, 2023
2002 Gujarat riots case:
— Soidul🇮🇳 (@SoidulAlomL) April 20, 2023
All accused acquitted in Naroda Gam massacre case. The #BabuBajrangi was among those accused who even confessed that “when he ripped out the foetus of a Muslim Woman and put it on the top of sword he felt like Maharana Paratap.
No words are left! pic.twitter.com/jHMpGv8xXq
Jai Shri Ram.
— Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) April 20, 2023
Slashing abdomen, killing foetus, and slashing and burning people.
Jai Shri Ram. https://t.co/L6l5dLPNvk
They just released a guy who ripped out a foetus from someone’s womb. This is @narendramodi’s 2024 campaign, release every rapist, murderer and thug under his wing, past or present, and appease a bloodthirsty majority.
— Gina Kholkar (@BabaJogeshwari) April 20, 2023
However, the postmortem of Kausar Bano told a different story.
A 2010 report states that the doctor who conducted the post-mortem on Kausar, found the foetus intact. Dr J S Kanoria, who had conducted the autopsy on 2nd March 2002 presented supporting documents to the special court and said that the foetus was intact in the woman’s womb. The foetus weight 2,500 gms and was 45 cms long.
Further, during the postmortem and cross-examination of witnesses, it had come to light that Kausar Bano died of suffocation, fear, and shock and her body bore no external or internal injuries. As per reports, during his deposition, Kanoria stated that Bano’s body bore no internal or external injury; moreover, there was no sword injury on her body. Dr Kanoria was working at the government civil hospital during the riots and had given a statement that Kausar Bano’s foetus was removed after the post-mortem. The post-mortem was conducted on 1st March 2002.
While Kausar’s death was unfortunate, the lies surrounding it only fanned the bitterness in an already embittered environment, and the lies around it continue to do so even today.
