Naroda Patia riot case: HC refuses to extend temporary bail of Babu Bajrangi

Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court today refused to extend by 30 days the temporary bail granted to Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, convicted by lower court in the 2002 Naroda Patia riot case. Bajrangi, sentenced to life imprisonment, is out on a 15-day bail since 28 December. The division bench of Justices Jayant Patel and Z K Saiyed today refused to grant extension of 30 days, as sought by Bajrangi. [caption id=“attachment_1332135” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] He had cited his wife’s ill-health as the reason. In August 2012, a special trial court convicted former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, Bajrangi and 15 others for their involvement in the Naroda Patia massacre in which 96 people were killed. The BJP government in the state initially gave the special investigation team its consent to file appeal in the High Court to seek capital punishment for Kodnani, Bajrangi and four others. However, it soon withdrew the consent following protests from right-wing organisations. In November last year, the Supreme Court-appointed SIT filed an appeal to enhance the sentence of 16 convicts, including Bajrangi, without remission. PTI