SC Grants Bail to Four Convicts in the Naroda Patiya Riots Case

Umeshbhai Bharwad, Rajkumar, Harshad and Prakashbhai Rathod were sentenced to a 10-year jail term by Gujarat HC.

The Supreme Court has granted bail to four convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case including Umeshbhai Bharwad, Rajkumar, Harshad and Prakashbhai Rathod.

(Photo: Reuters)

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, 22 January, granted bail to four convicts – Umeshbhai Bharwad, Rajkumar, Harshad and Prakashbhai Rathod – in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case.

The SC bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar granted bail to the four saying the Gujarat High Court conviction verdict was "debatable."

At least 97 Muslims were killed in the Naroda Patiya riots, which were one of the worst incidents during communal conflagration that engulfed Gujarat, following the train burning incident on 27 February 2002, at Godhra in which 59 Kar Sevaks were killed.

The Gujarat High Court, in June 2018, had sentenced the four convicts to 10 years of imprisonment. The high court had convicted 16 other people including Babu Bajrangi, and acquitted former BJP minister Maya Kodnani and 17 others for lack of evidence.