Procedure

Crime Against Humanity 
Volume I An inquiry into the carnage in Gujarat 
List of Incidents and Evidence 
By Concerned Citizens Tribunal -Gujarat 2002
Incidents of Post-Godhra Violence

Annexure 3 
Procedure

The Tribunal adopted a simple, people-friendly procedure. The press release of the consti-tution of the Tribunal and its schedule of hearings was publicised well in advance. A schedulewas worked out and affected areas, relief camps and localities informed of the sittings. Wher-ever we had our hearings, at pre-determined destinations or in relief camps where the affectedpersons had sought refuge, victims came in overwhelmingly large numbers and volunteered togive their statements. It was not possible to examine each and every witness and place them onrecord. Therefore we heard whom we could and took the rest of the accounts as writtenstatements on record that were recorded by a posse of activists who helped the Tribunal.Members of the Tribunal put several questions to elicit correct answers . Though witnesseswere not cross-examined, the Tribunal’s sittings were open to the public and all those interestedin presenting their point of view, were welcome. Simply because the evidence has not beenchallenged does not mean that it is not reliable. Some police officers have deposed but localpolice officers within affected areas did not. We would have been happy for the police toattend our sittings.

Most victim survivors have lost near and dear ones in the most brutal fashion, sufferedserious injuries, and lost everything, their homes, and their livelihood and have been evictedfrom their roots. No justice has yet been done. In many cases their earlier statements, recordsof FIRs and post mortem reports have been tendered as evidence. This is part of the voluminous evidence that the Tribunal had on record.

Even as the Tribunal sat, threats and fears intimidated ordinary people and the panel too hadto function amidst tight security. But the atmosphere within the Tribunal was open and people-friendly. Ours is a people’s inquiry and the victims could, without fear of reprisal, give vent totheir feelings, of the injustices they had suffered. In this sense, such a Tribunal has, comparedto an official commission, greater chances of arriving at the truth. Before us, victim survivorsnamed the perpetrators of heinous crimes and except in exceptional cases, did not fear fromdisclosing their identities. Other reports were also placed before us and have assisted the Tribu-nal in arriving at it’s conclusions.

The groups who invited the Tribunal to undertake this task were PUCL Vadodara, Communalism Combat, Shanti Abhiyan, PUHR, Jan Sangharsh Manch, Council for Social Justice, Prashant,India Centre for Human Rights and Law,St Xaviers Social Service Society, Behavioural ScienceCentre, Sanchetana, Sahrwaru.