SC for winding up proceedings in Gujarat riots case in 3 months
A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu declined to give bail to the accused who had sought the relief on the ground that since trial of the case has been dragging, they are entitled to be released from jail.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted an extension of another three months to an Ahmedabad trial court to wind up the proceedings in 2002 Gulberg Society massacre in which former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri and 67 others were killed. However, a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu declined to give bail to the accused who had sought the relief on the ground that since trial of the case has been dragging, they are entitled to be released from jail.
While District Judge P B Desai had requested the apex court to grant three more months to complete the trial in the case, the accused persons had written to it that due to delay in completing the proceedings they should be granted bail as they have been in jail for 10 years. The apex court bench, also comprising Justices M B Lokur and M Y Eqbal, refused to interfere with the Gujarat High Court order of December 23, 2013 granting conditional bail to all 21 people who were convicted and sent to life term in a case relating to the 2002 Deepda Darwaza riots in which 11 persons of a family were killed.
The appeal of the convicts in the case is pending. It said that the relative of the victim who has filed an appeal in the apex court can approach the high court seeking early hearing of the matter for cancellation of bail. However, it declined to direct the high court to consider the matter on priority basis saying "it would not be proper" to pass such a direction.
The high court had said state authorities or the SIT could move a plea for cancellation of bail to any of the accused if there was breach of any condition.