Former judge, who convicted Kodnani, Bajrangi, gets threats

Ahmedabad, May 11: Retired judge Jyotsna Yagnik, who convicted ex-Gujarat minister Mayaben Kodnani and former VHP leader Babu Bajrangi in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, has recently complained of receiving threatening calls and letters, the government said today.

"The issue will be dealt by the DG (director general), intelligence, Pramod Kumar. Yagnik had written a letter to us about the threats, requesting upgrading of her security, and her request has been forwarded to the DG," said the additional chief secretary (home) G R Aloria.

"After the DG decides on it, he will put a proposal before the state government to upgrade her security," Aloria told PTI. According to home department officials, Yagnik had been receiving threats for a long time and requested that her security be upgraded to 'Z' level from the present 'Y' level.

Her Z-level security was downgraded a year ago. When contacted, Yagnik refused to comment. She has not filed any police complaint in this regard. In August 2012, she convicted 31 people for criminal conspiracy related to the killing of 97 people of minority community at Naroda Patiya here on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train-burning incident, which led to widespread riots.

Holding Kodnani as the kingpin of the conspiracy, the judge awarded her 28 years' jail term while Bajrangi was sentenced to life in jail, without remission. Kodnani, an MLA of the Naroda seat in 2002, also became a minister in the state government when Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

PTI