By IANS,
Ahmedabad : The Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Supreme Court to probe major cases of the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat, is set to challenge the anticipatory bail granted to state minister Maya Kodnani.
“The state government has given us the nod and we can now challenge Kodnani’s bail in the Gujarat High Court,” Joint Commissioner of Police and SIT member Ashish Bhatia told IANS here Thursday.
He said that the SIT had to take the state government permission to challenge a minister’s bail.
The SIT asked Minister of State for Women, Child Development and Higher Education Kodnani to appear before it following allegations of her involvement in the March 1, 2002 massacres at Naroda village and Naroda Patiya on the outskirts of the city.
While the SIT declared her absconder after serving summons twice, the minister moved the city sessions court and got anticipatory bail.
Giving her 90-day anticipatory bail Feb 5, City Sessions Judge A.K. Aswani also directed her to surrender her passports to the SIT and barred her entry into Naroda area till further orders.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Jaydeep Patel, served the SIT summons in the Naroda village case, also secured anticipatory bail.