Even as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate LK Advani launched his campaign for parliamentary elections, one of his close associates, Dr Maya Kodnani, surrendered before SIT.
Friday was a day of ironies. Even as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate LK Advani launched his campaign for parliamentary elections, one of his close associates, Gujarat minister Dr Maya Kodnani, surrendered at 3:25 pm before the Special Investigation Team (SIT). The SIT, which was appointed by the Supreme Court to probe some of the 2002 riots cases, then arrested her.
Earlier in the day Kodnani had resigned as minister of state for women and child welfare after Justice DH Waghela of the Gujarat high court cancelled the anticipatory bail granted to her and to former VHP leader Jaideep Patel by a lower court in 2002 riots cases. Her resignation was immediately accepted by chief minister Narendra Modi who forwarded it to the Governor for acceptance.
She then proceeded to the SIT office in Gandhinagar to surrender but, according to reports, stopped briefly at the Circuit House in Shahibaug to meet Advani and Modi. Former VHP leader Jaideep Patel, a co-accused in the 2002 riots cases, was also arrested at 3:25 pm in Gandhinagar. Earlier, at 10:30 am on Friday, while cancelling their anticipatory bail, Justice Waghela had made very strong observations about their alleged role in the riot incidents. Kodnani and Patel are accused of leading mobs in Naroda Patia and Naroda Gaam that attacked and killed 106 people on February 28, 2002. A day earlier, the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express had been set on fire at Godhra. Rejecting their plea for time to go in appeal to the Supreme Court, the high court stated that the presence of Kodnani and Patel at the scene of the crime had been, prima facie, established by the evidence produced by the SIT.
Sources said the SIT will present Kodnani before a magistrate late on Friday night or early on Saturday morning and seek her on remand. She will spend the night in a separate room at the SIT office.
Reporting: Vivek Vijayapalan, Nikunj Soni, Roxy Gagdekar & Kapil Dave
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