PTI

Ahmedabad, Mar 27: Saying that religious fanatics are no better than terrorists, Gujarat High Court on Friday cancelled the anticipatory bail of state 
minister Maya Kodnani, accused in the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case, after which she resigned from the ministerial post.

Kodnani, the minister of state for higher education, today resigned after the high court cancelled her anticipatory bail, government spokesperson Jaynaran Vays said.

The minister surrendered at the Supreme Court constituted Special Investigation Team’s office (SIT), which is probing the riots cases afresh.

SIT officials had earlier in the day said that she will be arrested irrespective of whether she surrenders or not. "As per the court order, we have to arrest her before 6 pm today," said a senior official in the agency.

The High Court also cancelled the anticipatory bail of Jaideep Patel and rejected the plea of both the accused seeking time for further appeal.

"Communal harmony is the hallmark of democracy and religious fanatics are no better than the terrorists," Justice D H Vaghela said.

The court held that presence of Kodnani and VHP leader Patel at the scene of offence is prima facie established from the evidence produced by the Special Investigating Team (SIT).

The court held the crime committed by the mob was of heinous nature and has far reaching implications.

The court has observed that the accused, who are leaders of the area, did not do anything to quell or control the mob, which killed 106 people at Naroda Patia and Naroda village incidents.

Earlier, on February 5, Ahmedabad sessions court had granted them anticipatory bail when they were declared absconding by the SIT.

Kodnani and Patel were declared absconding by the agency in the last week of January 2009 after they failed to turn up despite repeated summons.

Following the lower court’s order, SIT had approached the high sourt seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bails granted to the accused.

During the course of arguments, lawyers appearing for Kodnani had submitted that there was a conspiracy to frame her in the case at a time of parliamentary elections.

They had also submitted that statements given by the witnesses were contradictory and had no credentials.

"We will study the judgement of the high court and explore all possible legal remedies. If a person is denied anticipatory bail she does not become a convict," Vyas said.

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