Kodnani's bail plea: SC wants to know nature of injuries firstial

The Supreme Court Thursday deferred hearing on former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani's plea seeking extension of her interim bail by six months as it insisted it fisrt be given the details of the nature of burn injuries suffered by her.

Directing the hearing of the matter on Feb 17, a bench of Justice H.L.Dattu and Justice S.A.Bobde however said that Kodnani, who is in hospital, will not be arrested till Monday.

Kodnani, convicted for her role in Naroda Patiya massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots and sentenced to 28 years in jail, was given three months interim bail Nov 12, 2013 for the treatment of intestine tuberculosis she is suffering from.

With her bail ending Feb 14, Kodnani has challenged the Gujarat High Court's Feb 6 order rejecting her plea for the extension of her interim bail by another 180 days.

Kodnani has contended that besides intestine tuberculosis, on Feb 8, she sustained burn injuries after she fell on a lighted lamp in her house.

At the outset of the hearing, the court asked senior counsel Ram Jethmalani about the additional affidavit he was asked to file on nature and extent of burn injuries suffered by Kodnani.

As Jethmalani pointed to the newspaper clippings attached to the petitions, the court said: "Tell your instructing counsel not to file newspaper clippings but an affidavit on the nature of burn injuries she has suffered."

"First and foremost we must be satisfied, only then we will pass orders," Justice Dattu said as Jethmalani urged the court that Kodnani may be exempted from surrendering on the completion of her three months interim bail.

Jethmlani's plea for exempting Kodnani from surrendering came as the court said that it would hear the matter as the first item on Monday (Feb 17). The senior counsel said that Kodnani was in trauma.

On being asked, the government's counsel told the court that Kodnani was presently in hospital.