2002 Dipda Darwaza riots case: HC grants bail to 21 convicts

The Gujarat High Court has granted conditional bail to all 21 people who were convicted and sent to life term in a case relating to the 2002 Deepda Darwaza riots in which 11 persons of a family were killed.
A division bench of High Court Justice K S Jhaveri and Justice K J Thakkar said state authorities or the Special Investigation Team (SIT) could move a plea for cancellation of bail to any of the accused if there was breach of any condition.
The case relates to the killing of 11 members of a family, including two children and a 65-year-old woman, on February 28, 2002 in Deepda Darwaza area of Visnagar town in Mehsana district of Gujarat after the Godhra train fire incident.

It was one of the nine cases probed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT).
"Considering the pros and cons of the case in hand, we think it fit to suspend the sentence imposed upon the applicants pending their appeals and release them on bail on stringent conditions," the High Court said in its order, which was given on Saturday, but was released only today.
They will be released on bail after furnishing two solvent sureties of Rs 25,000 each and personal bonds of the same amount, the court said.
The seven stringent conditions put forward by the court include, not to take undue advantage of their liberty or abuse their liberty, not act in a manner injurious to the interest of the prosecution as well as maintain law and order.

They have also been asked to mark their presence before the nearest local police station on any day between the 1st and 10th of every month, not leave the Gujarat without prior intimation, furnish the address of their residence at the time of execution of the bond and they shall not change their residence without prior permission of the court as well as surrender their passports.