Naroda Patiya riots: Gujarat HC upholds Babu Bajrangi's conviction, says prosecution able to establish conspiracy

The Gujarat High Court on Friday upheld the conviction of Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Patiya riots case while acquitting BJP leader Maya Kodnani . The high court found Bajrangi guilty of criminal conspiracy (IPC section 120B) along with two other convicts – Prakash Rathod and Suresh Jhala. [caption id=“attachment_4439397” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Babu Bajrangi. AP[/caption] The court said that the prosecution had been able to establish a conspiracy implicating Babu Bajrangi, News18 reported. Ninety-seven people from the Muslim community were massacred in Ahmedabad’s Naroda Patiya area on 28 February, 2002, in what was one of the worst incidents of rioting following the Godhra train burning incident of 27 February, 2002, in which 59 karsevaks were killed. In August 2012, a special court for SIT cases had sentenced 32 people, including Kodnani, to life imprisonment. Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in prison, while Babu Bajrangi was given life imprisonment till death with a condition of remission. Seven accused were given enhanced life imprisonment of 21 years, which they will serve after undergoing 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 326 (causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The remaining accused were given simple life imprisonment (14 years). The trial court also acquitted 29 other accused for want of evidence. While all the convicts challenged the lower court’s order in the Gujarat High Court, according to The Indian Express, the SIT filed petitions seeking stricter punishment for three convicts including Bajrangi. The SIT challenged that there should not be remission for Bajrangi. With inputs from agencies