Naroda Patiya case: Maya Kodnani let off by Gujarat HC; top 10 developments

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Maya Kodnani was acquitted in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, in which 97 Muslims were killed following the Godhra riots, by the Gujarat High Court on Friday. Earlier, Kodnani had been sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment. However, the High court upheld the conviction of Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, who had also moved the court challenging the previous ruling. He had been sentenced to life imprisonment until death.

A Division Bench of Justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehiya pronounced the verdict. The Bench said charges against Kodnani could not be established.

Last August after the hearing concluded, a Division Bench of justices Harsha Devani and A S Supehiya had reserved its order in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case. In August 2012, a special court for special investigation (SIT) cases had sentenced 32 people, including Kodnani, to life imprisonment. The trial court had also acquitted 29 others accused for want of evidence. While the convicts had challenged the lower court's order in the high court, the SIT had appealed against the acquittal of 29 people.