Supreme Court has lifted the stay on trial but a plea of one of the accused is still pending with Gujarat High court.
It was only a few weeks back when the Apex court lifted stay on the trial of Ahmedabad serial blasts case. However, lawyers involved with the case indicate that its trial may take longer time
to start.
“The designated special court in the case had framed charges against 64 accused on December 15, 2010 and the prosecution has already submitted the list of the documents they are relying in the case. The case was then scheduled for commencement of trial. However, on the same evening news of apex court staying the trial of the case floated,” said Amit Shah, one of the team members of the special prosecutors in the case.
Earlier this month, the apex court lifted stay on the trial.
The stay on the trial was given after the accused had moved a petition seeking for transfer of the case to some other state under allegations that the atmosphere in the state was too surcharged for a free and fair trial of the case. They had also referred to certain incidents, saying the trial against them would not be free of bias.
However, the Apex court dismissed the accused plea and held that there were no grounds for the transfer of the trial outside the state. It stated that if there were any new incidents giving rise to apprehensions of real obstruction to free and fair trial, the petitioners could again move the court.
Court sources said that the designated court has not yet received any communication from the Supreme court as yet, but the next date for the case is scheduled for July 22. The court may, on the day, announce the next stage of the case and fix a date for commencement of trial.
Defence advocate, IM Munshi said that the case is at on the verge of commencement of trial. After the Apex court stayed trial on the case, the crime branch arrested few people in connection with the blasts during these period and the court will now frame charges against them and conduct trial of all the accused together. Further, one of the accused has sought discharge from the case and his plea is now pending with the Gujarat high court. Unless that petition is not decided, the court will not start with the trial of the case, Munshi added.
A series of 24 synchronised bombings ripped Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, killing over 56 people and injuring 240 people. Again, around 24 dud bombs were recovered in Surat the next day. The court has till now framed charges against 64 accused in the blasts case, while the investigating agency had stated that around 34 accused were listed as absconders in the case.
The prosecution has alleged that the accused had entered into conspiracy to take revenge of the post Godhra riots in which several innocent people of the minority community were killed and burnt alive. The accused had taken training camps organised in the forest area of Halol-Pavagadh and other various places of the state. Further they had organised various meetings in the state to arrange for the vehicles and other infrastructure to plan an attack at various Hindu places.
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