Friday, March 4 2005 10:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: A victim and eye-witness of Eral massacre case yesterday (Mar 3, 2005) identified in a Fast Track Court in Godhra 11 of the 40 accused persons, who had allegedly gang-raped two minor girls and murdered seven people during post-Godhra riots on March 3, 2002 and burnt their bodies.

Madina Bibi Sheikh, the key witness in the massacre case of Eral village in Halol town of Panchmahals and whose daughter and niece were allegedly gang-raped and seven of her relatives massacred by a violent mob, identified the accused persons in the court of R D Thaker, the counsel for Madina, Siraj Malik said.

The court has scheduled March 31 as date for further hearing in the case.

The massacre occurred exactly on March 3, 2002 when rioters had attacked several villages in the interiors of Panchmahals and Dahod districts where several people of minority community live.

The victims in the case are Ismail Jamal, Uriben Ismail (inlaws) of Madina, Adam bhai and Tajubibi, a minor boy Taufique whose thumb was chopped off before being killed, Madina's minor daughter Shabana and her niece Sohana.

The incident occurred when Madina and her relatives were fleeing from their village after the large-scale rioting broke out and they were stopped by rioters near Eral village.

Police has filed three chargesheets in this case and are yet to make some more arrests.

The court has also summoned on March 31, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem on the seven victims.