Naroda Patiya riot: HC extends Babu Bajrangi's bail by 10 days

Ahmedabad, Jul 23: The Gujarat High Court has extended 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case convict Babu Bajrangi's bail period by ten days to enable him to undergo medical treatment.

A two-judge bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Mohinder Pal and Justice R D Kothari, extended his bail for ten more days. On April 23, the High Court had granted bail to Bajrangi, which was supposed to end on July 23.

However, yesterday, Bajrangi moved the bail plea through his advocate Pravin Gondaliya stating that his bail terms needs to be extended to treat his blindness in a private hospital.

Bajrangi is one of the 31 convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case in which 97 people of a minority community were killed.

He was awarded imprisonment until death by a special trial court in August 2012. Former Gujarat state minister Mayaben Kodnani was also convicted in the same case.

Bajrangi had challenged his conviction before the High Court, which is pending at present. Earlier, the VHP leader was granted temporary bail by the High Court six times on various grounds.

His wife Meena Patel had written a letter to Gujarat Governor O P Kohli, seeking mercy and asked for release of her husband since he is losing his vision.

Naroda Patiya is one of the nine cases probed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). The Naroda Patiya riot had broken out a day after the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express train was burnt near Godhra station on February 27, 2002, which claimed the lives of 58 karsevaks.

PTI