Gujarat riot convict ex-minister Maya Kodnani gets bail on health ground

Earlier in November last year she was granted bail by the Gujarat High Court for three months.

She got a week's bail from the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused her plea for a six month extension of bail.

According to reports, Maya is suffering from tuberculosis.

On Aug 31, 2012, a special court in Ahmedabad awarded life imprisonment to all the 32 convicts, including former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister (woman) Maya Kodnani and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, in the Naroda Patiya massacre case of 2002 Gujarat riots.

The court awarded life imprisonment till death to Babu.

Maya will need to stay in jail for 28 years.

At least 95 people belonging to a minority community were killed by a rioting mob that had attacked Naroda Patiya area on Feb 28, 2002.

The Gujarat Police first investigated the case before the Supreme Court in 2009 and appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe it.

The SIT had registered cases against Maya and several others in connection with the case.

She was also arrested in connection with the matter.

Three accused died during the trial.

The remaining 61 accused were tried for rioting, murder and arson.

The Naroda Patiya case is one of the worst massacre incidents that occurred during the infamous 2002 Gujarat riots.

The infamous Gujarat riots of 2002 left hundreds of Muslims dead, injured and tortured and came as a blot in the BJP rule in the state then.

The riots followed an incident of train burning in Godhra in which Hindus returning from Ayodhya were killed by a Muslim mob.

Around 1,000 supporters of prime accused Maulvi Umarjihad attacked the coach at the Godhra station and torched it killing 59 people and injuring many.