Despite an objection from the Gujarat government, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a two-month stay on appeal proceedings, including those of former State Minister Maya Kodnani challenging her conviction, in the Gujarat High Court in the Naroda Patiya massacre case.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu and Justices Madan B. Lokur and M.Y. Iqbal issued the interim stay order even as the State suggested that an alterntive could be worked out without hindering the High Court proceedings.
The SIT led by the former CBI Director, R.K. Raghavan, investigating the 2002 riot cases, had complained that the High Court was expeditiously hearing the appeal of Ms. Kodnani, while the appeals of the 11 other accused were kept pending.
“Why should the learned judges of the High Court hear this accused person, but keep aside the appeal of this person’s personal assistant? If this is a case dealing with the offence of conspiracy, how can conspiracy be proved by hearing only one accused person’s appeal,” Chief Justice Dattu asked.
In August 2012, a special court, which had described Ms Kodnani as “kingpin” in the Naroda Patiya massacre of 97 people, sentenced her to 28 years of imprisonment.
