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Gujarat asked to appeal Best acquittals
Our Legal
Correspondent Initially, the court wanted the state government to file the appeal today but granted more time after Mr Rohtagi sought it. Gujarat High Court had in its order of 26 December, 2003 upheld the trial court order acquitting all the accused in the case in which 14 people were burnt alive. The High Court has already been challenged before the apex court by key witness in the case Zahira Sheikh. But the state is yet to appeal the order. At the last hearing on 30 January, the state had assured the apex court that it would file an appeal in two weeks’ time.
The apex court also
directed the state to file an affidavit on all post-Godhra cases in
which the bail has been granted to the accused and whether the state
has appealed these bail orders in the superior courts. Notices were
issued on a petition, filed by the Citizens of Justice and Peace,
seeking transfer of the Godhra case for trial outside the state. The
petition has been filed both on behalf of the victims as well as
relatives of the accused. However, Mr Rohtagi contested the transfer
plea stating that this case was very different from all other post-Godhra
cases that figure in the transfer petition of the NHRC. The Statesman
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