The Gujarat government took a U-turn withholding the death appeal for former minister Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajrangi and eight others in the 2002 Naroda Patia riots case.
Under the pressure from the right wing forces for its earlier decision to go ahead with the SIT’s recommendation that sought death penalty for Kodani and Bajarangi, the Gujarat government was forced to write to the chief prosecutor in the Naroda Patiya massacre case seeking to put the decision on hold.
Earlier, Narendra Modi government had given its consent to the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team to file an application in the High Court seeking death sentence for Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajrangi and 8 others. They were awarded life term by the lower court.
But the government was criticised for the decision in the case.
The final decision will be taken after advocate general will give his opinion on this matter.
Kodnani was a minister in the Modi government. She was sentenced to 28 years in jail by a Special Court in August 2012 in connection with the post-Godhra Naroda Patia riot case – in which 96 people were killed. Bajrangi was awarded jail term for his entire life and eight others were given 31 years imprisonment in the case.