31 convicts withdraw bail petitions from HC

In their petitions, 31 convicts of the Sardarpura massacre case had also demanded suspension of their conviction awarded by a special trial court in 2011. (Express archives)

Thirty-one convicts in the 2002 Sardarpura massacre case on Monday withdrew their regular bail petitions before a division bench of the Gujarat High Court (HC) after the court did not seem inclined to allow the petitions. In their petitions, the convicts had also demanded suspension of their conviction awarded by a special trial court in 2011.

In November 2011, a special trial court for the case had convicted 31 persons to life imprisonment, while acquitting 42 others. Following the judgment, the convicts had — apart from regular bail petitions — also moved appeals against their convictions. At the same time, the state government had moved appeals against acquittal of 42 accused.

The regular bail petitions of the convicts were earlier being heard by a division bench of HC comprising Justices Kalpesh Jhaveri and K J Thaker. That bench had issued notices to the prosecution, but later HC roster had changed and the petitions came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices Jayant Patel and Z K Saiyed.