Riots-tainted cop files bail plea

Deputy superintendent of police, Valsad, KG Erda, who was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for negligence of duty during the 2002 post-Godhra riots, applied for bail in the city sessions court, on Friday. Erda was sent to judicial custody by the metropolitan court.

In his application seeking bail, Erda refuted the allegations of negligence of duty during the 2002 riots, saying he had received around 550 awards for his service as a police official. In his application submitted through lawyers Mitesh Amin and Vijay Patel,
Erda said that the charges he was facing were not serious enough to warrant life imprisonment or capital punishment. He said he had already given his statements before the police in March 2002, April 2008 and September 2008, as well as before the Nanavati Shah Commission, and that he had been interrogated sufficiently.
Erda sought bail on humanitarian grounds, saying he was suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney failure, which had led to an eye problem. Additional sessions judge AK Aswani deferred hearing on the matter till February 17.

Erda has been charged under section 217 (public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save a person from punishment) and section 218 (public servant framing incorrect record of writing with intent to save a person from punishment) of the Indian Penal Code. He is also facing charges of arson, rioting, murder and attempt to murder.