The Ode massacre was one of the nine most gruesome cases of the post-Godhra riots investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team.
The Gujarat High Court (HC), on Wednesday, granted temporary bail of four days to an accused in the Ode massacre, post the Godhra riots of 2002, on the ground that his daughter’s class 12 board examinations commence on Thursday.
Convicted to life imprisonment in 2012 in relation to the Malav Bhagol case in Ode village — where three members of a Muslim family were burnt alive — Maheshbhai Patel had moved an appeal before the HC against his sentence, which remains pending. His daughter will be appearing for her board examinations from a centre at Sarsa village of Anand, where she stays with her mother.
The accused had sought temporary bail for a period of 15 days on the ground that his daughter has to appear for her board examinations
starting March 5 and her father’s presence is required. However, his request was only partially granted.
The four days of temporary bail was granted by the division bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and RM Sareen. Patel was last released on temporary bail as recently as December 2019.
Currently lodged at the Vadodara Central Jail, Maheshbhai and eight others were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 by then judge at a special trial court in Anand, Justice Sareen.
Meanwhile, at the special court in Ahmedabad which is trying the 2008 serial bomb blasts, several accused sought to meet their wards for two hours, but were granted only hour-long meetings.
One of the accused, Mohammad Arif Mohammad Kagdi had sought a meeting to guide his son — who will appear for his class 10 board examinations — not only in his capacity as a father, but because the accused is also a teacher. The court had allowed a meeting of an hour on February 20.
Accused Yunus Mohammadbhai Mansuri had submitted that he wished to advise his son pursuing BCom. He had sought to meet his family on February 29 and the court had granted the meeting for only an hour, owing to security concerns. Accused Mansur Asgar Peerbhoy was also granted a similar meeting with his family members ahead of his son’s exams on February 26. Another accused, Shamsuddin Shahbuddin Shaikh — whose son is due to appear for class 10 board examinations while his elder daughter is due to appear for class 11 examinations — had requested for a meeting to assure his children. He was allowed to meet them for an hour on February 14 at the Sabarmati Central jail.
Another accused of the 2008 serial bomb blasts, who has been in jail for the past 11 years, Tanvir Akhtar Pathan was allowed to meet his family members for an hour on March 4. Owing to exams that some of his family members are appearing for, he sought special Judge Ambalal R Patel’s permission to defer the date to another day in March. The same was granted.
Fifty-eight people were killed and around 200 injured in the serial blasts across Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, alleged to have been carried out by the Indian Mujahideen.