Court rejects bail plea of ex-BJP MLA accused in Gujarat riot case

A Mehsana court today rejected the bail application of former BJP MLA Prahlad Gosa, arrested in connection with the Deepda Darwaja case of post-Godhra riots.

Designated judge SC Shrivastva, hearing the case, also rejected bail plea of ex-president of Visnagar municipality in Mehsana district, Dahyabhai Patel. The duo were arrested after they surrendered before the court last week.

Gosa, who in 2002 was MLA of Visnagar, and Patel, are facing charges of instigating the riots in Dipda Darwaja locality of Visnagar town in Mehsana district, where 11 people of minority community were burnt to death by the rioting mob in February 2002.

Defence consul Govind Brahmbhatt said, "The order rejecting the bail application will be challenged in Gujarat high court."

In February this year, the special court set up following the Supreme Court order to conduct trial in some of the cases probed by the special investigation team (SIT), had ordered that Gosa and Patel be arraigned as accused in the Dipda Darwaja case.

The order was issued after an eye witness Mohamad Iqbal Baloch requested the court to arraign the duo as accused in the case as they had instigated the mob against minority community members which led to riots.

The duo had challenged the special court's order in the Gujarat high court, which rejected their plea.