Naroda Patiya Riot Case: Gujarat HC Acquits Ex-BJP Minister Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajrangi To Remain in Jail Till Death

Naroda Patiya riot is one of the worst incidents which was sparked forllowing the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, in which 59 Hindu kar sevaks were killed.

Ahmedabad: A division bench of the Gujarat High Court on Friday upheld a special court's decision of awarding life imprisonment till death to former Bajrang Dal leader  Babu Bajrangi in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case. In a huge relief for former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, the high court has not held her guilty and acquitted her in the case. She was earlier sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment. Kodnani is currently out on bail. The trial court had earlier held that she was the mastermind of the violence in Naroda area. A division bench of justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehiya had reserved the order last August after the hearing concluded. In August 2012, a special court for SIT cases had sentenced 32 people. The court today observed that that the accused-appellant (Maya Kodnani) is entitled to be acquitted on benefit of doubt on the ground of discrepancies in the evidence of witnesses. Naroda Patiya riot is one of the worst incidents which was sparked forllowing the Godhra train burning incident of February 27, 2002, in which 59 Hindu kar sevaks were killed. A number of high court judges including justices Akil Kureshi, M R Shah, K S Jhaveri, G B Shah, Sonia Gokani and R H Shukla recused themselves from the case during the hearing on appeals. List of guilty and acquitted below:  Naresh Agarsinh Chora - guilty Murli Naranbhai Sindhi - guilty Harsh Chora -guilty Kishan Korani - guilty Prakash Rathod -guilty Suresh Langdo - guilty Premchand Tiwari - guilty Suresh alias Shehzad - guilty Nawab Urfekalibhaiya - Guilty Bipin Autowala - guilty Manoj Sindhi - guilty Vikram Chora - acquitted Ganpat Chanaji Chora - acquitted Manubhai Maruda - acquitted Babubhai Vanzara - acquitted Shashikant Marathi - acquitted Mukesh Vakil - acquitted Hiraji Marwadi - acquitted Vijay Parmar - acquitted Ramesh Chora - acquitted Sachin Modi acquitted Vilas Sonar - acquitted Dinesh Marathi - acquitted Santosh Mulchandani acquitted Kirpalsingh Chhabra - acquitted Pintu Chora - acquitted (With agency inputs)