No need to shift blasts trial out of Gujarat: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court  has refused to transfer the trial of 2008 Ahmedabad blast accused to outside Gujarat saying there’s little evidence that “the charged atmosphere which existed at the time when the offences were alleged to have been committed, still exist and was likely to prejudice the accused during the trial.”

Accused Jahaid Sheikh and some others facing the trial in the bloody blasts that rocked Gujarat and some other states had sought transfer of their prosecution to any other state as they raised the plea that atmosphere for a fair trial was elusive as they belonged to the Muslim community.

However, the court on Wednesday rejected their plea that communal feelings may once again raise its ugly head. Sixty three 63 accused are facing the trial.

A bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph said that except for mere apprehension of the accused Jahaid Sheikh and others, there was “little evidence to show that the atmosphere in Gujarat was surcharged to warrant shifting of the trial outside the State.”

At least 56 people were killed across the country and several injured in the post Godhra 2008 serial bomb blasts in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.

Counsel Prashant Bhushan said that communal violence may raise its head once again if the trial was held in the state.