Former Gujarat Minister Maya Kodnani — prime accused in post-Godhara Naroda Patiya riots in 2002 — was granted bail by the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday. However, SC-appointed SIT, has decided to challenge the HC order.
A division Bench, comprising Justice VN Sahai and Justice RP Dholeria, heard Kodnani’s bail plea and granted bail to her on health grounds. Earlier, in November 2013, she was granted bail for 60 days. However, the court denied extension of the same in February this year. On July 15, 2014 her bail application came up before Justice Anant Dave’s Bench, but he recused himself from hearing the plea without assigning any reason. “The HC granted bail to Kodnani following her deteriorating health, which were brought to the notice of the court. She has been suffering from depression and has developed suicidal tendencies, apart from severe heart ailments and other diseases. The doctors too have corroborated the same,” said Kodanani’s advocate Mahesh Amin.
Considering merit of the case as well as her medical conditions, during the pendency of appeal, the HC granted Kodnani’s bail plea, said Amin.
Earlier, a special court in Ahmedabad sentenced Maya Kodnani, Bajarang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and 29 other convicts for 28 years in August 2012 for their role in Naroda Patiya massacre of 2002 which led to the killing to 97 people. The court had also named Kodnani, a Minister in former Gujarat Chief Minster Narendra Modi’s Cabinet, as “a kingpin of riots” in the case.
Kodnani (58) was an MlA from Naroda at the time of riots. The three-time MlA from Naroda Assembly constituency was also made the Minister of State for Women and Child Development in 2007. She had to resign after her arrest in the case in March 2009.
The Naroda Patia massacre had taken place a day after the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002.Meanwhile, Special Public Prosecutor PG Desai of the SIT told PTI, “We will file an application before Gujarat High Court tomorrow seeking a stay on their order to challenge it before the Supreme Court.”