Ahmedabad: As many as 120 persons, mainly of minority community, deposed before the two-man riot inquiry commission on July 22 on the last day of recording of statements for the first phase.

Owing to a large turnout of victims from the mixed population area of Madhavpura, the commission, headed by Justice (retd) G T Nanavati and Justice (retd) K G Shah recorded statements of victims after dividing them into batches, so that most of them could be heard.

A maximum number of women turned up for deposition and some of them even complained of police inefficiency in their locality to prevent mobs on the rampage during the communal riots.

Noorjahan Pathan, a victim from the area told the commission that on February 28, the day Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had given a call for Gujarat bandh, a mob comprising 5,000 persons were on the rampage in her locality and when she contacted police for help they told her "to protect themselves".

"The mob, comprising Hindu youths from my area also, attempted to tear off my clothes and threw me onto a burning scooter. They even robbed my ornaments," Noorjahan said.

PTI