SC grants protection to Kodnani from arrest

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted protection to former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, a lifer in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, from arrest till Monday but pulled her up for failing to furnish an additional affidavit on her “burn injuries”.

She had sought extension of her interim bail on medical grounds, saying she had sustained injuries and wanted time for recuperation.

Bench of Justices H L Dattu and S A Bobde took up the matter and noted that her counsel had failed to file an additional affidavit on health condition despite instruction on Wednesday.

The court was also not impressed with the newspaper report furnished by the counsel on her condition. “Newspaper cutout can never be ground for it,” the court remarked by saying that it would take up the case on Friday.

Senior Advocate Ram Jethmalani then sought extension of her interim bail till Monday, saying that he was not available on Friday.

The Gujarat government counsel did not object to his plea and submitted that the petitioner is hospitalised.

The court adjourned the matter till February 17 by granting her protection from any coercive action.

Kodnani challenged the February 8 Gujarat High Court order refusing her plea for extension of bail for six months. She was granted three-month interim bail on November 11, 2013.

Kodnani is one of the 32 persons convicted in the Naroda Patiya massacre case.
She is also facing a criminal trial in the 2002 Naroda Gam massacre Case.