The serial blast accused have sought the transfer of cases out of Gujarat for alleged bias by the police as well as the judicial machinery in the state.
The Gujarat government today expressed shock over the decision of the Supreme Court to stay all proceedings in the July 26, 2008, serial bomb blasts case and said the stay was given without even hearing them.
"We cannot make comments on the decision on the judiciary. And it is also not our intention. But as far as the state government is concerned, it was very 'shocking'," Gujarat government spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas said in a statement.
"On one side when the country is terrorised by the Pune bomb blast which claimed lives of innocent people, a petition by members of the banned organisation Indian Mujaheedin (IM) is heard by the apex court without state government being informed about it. This kind of one-sided proceedings is saddening," Vyas said.
"This will not only hamper the internal security but also affect the minds of those having faith in the judicial system. It will break morale of the police force which is primarily responsible for up-keeping of law and order," he added. Vyas said this was "like rubbing salt on the wounds of blast victims and their family members."
The Supreme Court today stayed all proceedings initiated in Gujarat against the 63 accused persons in cases relating to a series of bomb blasts that had occurred across the country in 2008.
The serial blast accused have sought the transfer of cases out of Gujarat for alleged bias by the police as well as the judicial machinery in the state.
The accused arrested from different parts of the country sought that they be shifted to jails outside Gujarat alleging they were being subjected to the torture by the police as well as jail authorities. The court also issued a notice to Gujarat government on the plea of all the accused.
The accused are currently being held in custody in Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat in connection with the serial blasts that rocked Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008. 57 persons were killed and over 200 were injured in a series of blast at various places in the city, which included two government-run hospitals.
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