Naroda Patiya case: SC slams Gujarat High Court for exclusively hearing appeal of Maya Kodnani

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday took a dim view of the Gujarat High Court’s decision to single out and exclusively hear the appeal of former state minister Maya Kodnani against her conviction in the Naroda Patiya riots case, wondering how a conspiracy charge could be proved without hearing the appeal of the others accused.

A top court bench, comprising Chief Justice HL Dattu, Madan B Lokur and MY Eqbal, also stayed the hearing of Kodnani’s appeal, which was conducted on a day-to-day basis. The stay will operate for two months, Dattu said, noting that one of the two judges was to retire in that period.

The court will then take a call on whether all the appeals in the case should be heard together. Kodnani was sentenced to a life term along with Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and 29 others by a trial court on August 29, 2012. Only Kodnani’s appeal was heard by the two-judge bench. Kodnani was granted bail on medical grounds in July 2014. The SIT appointed by the top court objected to the high court bench hearing only Kodnani’s appeal on several grounds.