HC takes up SIT pleas against anticipatory bails to Guj minister, VHP leader on Tuesday

Justice DH Waghela of the Gujarat high court has issued notices to Maya Kodnani and Jaydeep Patel. The court on Tuesday heard the applications moved by the SIT against the order of a lower court granting anticipatory bail to the leaders in the Naroda Patia and Naroda Gaam cases. The matter will come up for further hearing on March 2.

Kodnani, the minister of state for higher education and woman and child welfare, and VHP leader Patel had been granted anticipatory bail by the city sessions court on February 5. Kodnani had sought bail in the Naroda Patia and Naroda Gaam cases, while Patel had sought the same in the latter case.

Appearing for the SIT, special public prosecutor JM Panchal submitted in court that 95 people had been killed, 38 injured and three have been missing in the Naroda Patia case, while 11 had been killed and nine injured in the Naroda Gaam case. Justice Waghela issued notices to Kodnani and Patel and posted the matter for further hearing on March 2.

The applications filed by three witnesses in the two cases, seeking to join as party in the application filed by the SIT, could not be heard on Tuesday because of administrative blocks. The matter is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday. Imtiaz Khureshi and Nanumiya Malek, witnesses in the Naroda Gaam case, and Dildar Sayyed, a witness in the Naroda Patia case, had sought to join as party in the SIT's application seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Kodnani and Patel.

Applications filed by three witnesses seeking to join as party in the application filed by the SIT could not be heard on Tuesday

SIt firm about the leaders' role in post-godhra riots  

The SIT had earlier filed applications seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to minister of state for higher education and woman and child welfare, Maya Kodnani, and VHP leader Jaydeep Patel, in cases related to the 2002 post-Godhra riots

In the Naroda Patia massacre case, 95 people had been killed, 38 injured and three have been missing; while 11 had been killed and nine injured in the Naroda Gaam case. Kodnani had sought anticipatory bail in both cases, while Patel had sought the same in the latter case

DNA Correspondent/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication