One of the convicts in the post-Godhra 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Babu Bajrangi’s bail application was granted by the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday. His application was considered for treatment of an eye disease.
As the temporary bail granted by a division bench comprising Justice AS Dave and Justice Sonia Gokani, Bajarangi would be able to come out of jail from August 9 to 16.
Bajarangi who has been sentenced to remain in jail till death, is currently lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail. In his bail plea before the High Court seeking temporary bail, he said that there is 50 per cent blockade in his eye veins and he needs to be out on bail for the treatment.
The VHP leader stated in the plea that despite getting treated at a Government-run hospital, he has developed partial loss of vision. Earlier also, the Gujarat High Court had given temporary bail to Bajrangi for his eye treatment. He had also been given bail three other times for medical treatment of his wife and father.
A special trial court convicted him in the Naroda Patiya case. Besides Bajrangi, the trial court had convicted former Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare, Maya Kodnani and 31 others on the charges of murder and criminal conspiracy. Kodnani was awarded for 28-year imprisonment. Seven persons in the same case were sentenced to 31 years rigorous imprisonment and 22 convicts to imprisonment of 24 years.
One day after the Godhara train carnage, 97 people were killed in Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002. Around a week ago former Minister in the Modi Government in Gujarat, Kodnani was also released on bail on the ground of deteriorating health.
