Modi govt goes back on death penalty for Maya Kodnani
15 May 2013 7:42 AM IST
Gujarat government on Tuesday kept on hold its decision to seek death penalty for former minister Maya Kodnani, prominent Hindutva activist Babu Bajrangi and eight others in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riots case. ‘The decision has been withheld for now as we have to take opinion of state advocate general,’ said Gujarat finance minister and spokesperson Nitish Patel.
The state finance minister added that a final decision will be taken after advocate general gives his opinion on the matter.
The state legal department had sent a letter, dated 10 May, in this regard to the office of Prakash Jani, the government pleader in Gujarat high court. The pleader’s office, which processes the filing of appeals, was informed of the decision of withdrawal of resolution dated 14 April giving consent to file appeals in the Naroda Patiya case.
‘Yesterday, I received a fax from the legal department informing that the government has decided to cancel the earlier decision of filing appeals. On receiving it, I asked the government pleader’s office to send me back the draft of appeals which we had prepared and sent to his office on 6 May,’ said special public prosecutor for SIT, Prashant Desai. The special prosecutor for SIT added that now it is between the state government and the SIT to decide on the further course of action.
Not losing the opportunity, Congress party attacked the Gujarat government for withholding its decision to seek death for Kodnani, saying there has been no change in the mindset of chief minister Narendra Modi and his feelings about a particular community. ‘It proves that Modi has not changed. He was like this in the past and will remain so in the future,’ said Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal.
This U-turn was taken after the RSS affiliates had expressed resentment over the government’s decision taken last month.
The state’s legal department had given a go ahead for a petition to be filed in the High Court seeking death penalty for Kodnani and others.
The state finance minister added that a final decision will be taken after advocate general gives his opinion on the matter.
The state legal department had sent a letter, dated 10 May, in this regard to the office of Prakash Jani, the government pleader in Gujarat high court. The pleader’s office, which processes the filing of appeals, was informed of the decision of withdrawal of resolution dated 14 April giving consent to file appeals in the Naroda Patiya case.
‘Yesterday, I received a fax from the legal department informing that the government has decided to cancel the earlier decision of filing appeals. On receiving it, I asked the government pleader’s office to send me back the draft of appeals which we had prepared and sent to his office on 6 May,’ said special public prosecutor for SIT, Prashant Desai. The special prosecutor for SIT added that now it is between the state government and the SIT to decide on the further course of action.
Not losing the opportunity, Congress party attacked the Gujarat government for withholding its decision to seek death for Kodnani, saying there has been no change in the mindset of chief minister Narendra Modi and his feelings about a particular community. ‘It proves that Modi has not changed. He was like this in the past and will remain so in the future,’ said Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal.
This U-turn was taken after the RSS affiliates had expressed resentment over the government’s decision taken last month.
The state’s legal department had given a go ahead for a petition to be filed in the High Court seeking death penalty for Kodnani and others.
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