Blasts case: HC junks accused's plea seeking confidential docs

The Gujarat High Court today dismissed a plea of 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case accused seeking access to some of the documents related to the Union Home Ministry's approval for trying the accused under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Justice A G Uraizee, while rejecting the plea, took into account the argument by the public prosecutor that these documents carry sensitive information about the case and cannot be given to the accused at this stage.
The high court also noted that the documents are part of the charge sheet and carry names of some secret witnesses, which cannot be disclosed to the accused.

Further, the court also considered the state government's argument that UAPA gives it powers about non-disclosure of these documents.
These documents carry those reports which are submitted to the Home Ministry by the state government while justifying the need to invoke UAPA against the accused and subsequently received sanction from the Home Ministry for the same.
In their plea, one Shahid Nagori and 75 other accused of the 2008 serial blast case have sought access to these documents, claiming that these documents are needed to prepare their case as the trial is pending in the lower court.

They knocked the doors of High Court after a lower court had recently turned down their plea on the same grounds.

Twenty one serial blasts had rocked Ahmedabad city on July 26, 2008, in which 56 people were killed and several others were injured.
76 people accused in the case are behind the bars here. A special court has so far examined around 780 witnesses.