Modi's masterstroke

Wants death penalty for Maya Kodnani, 8 others

Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat Government, in a surprise move, has decided to seek death penalty for Maya Kodnani, a former minister in the Narendra Modi government, Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and eight others in connection with the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case. It is interpreted as a clever move by Modi, who has emerged as the prime ministerial candidate of the BHP. It is also significant that the NDA Allies, especially the JD(U), has been demanding a secular candidate for the PM's post.

The state government will soon file an appeal in the High Court against the Special Court's judgement in the case. "The legal department has formed a panel of three advocates who have been asked to prepare an appeal to be filed in the High Court and seek death sentence for 10 convicts in the case, including Kodnani and Bajrangi, who were awarded life sentence by the trial court," Assistant Public Prosecutor Gaurang Vyas said.

Apart from seeking death sentence for 10 convicts, the appeal, likely to be filed next week, would press for enhancement of 24-year jail term to 30 years for 22 convicts given life sentence by the trial court, Vyas said.

Gujarat's VHP leadership is up in arms against the Gujarat government. "VHP strongly condemns the reported decision of the Gujarat government to seek death penalty for Maya Kodnani, Babu Bajarngi and other Hindus sentenced in the Naroda case," Gujarat VHP General Secretary Ranchhod Bharwad said. Calling the decision "shocking" and "a blow to Hindus", Bharwad has written to Chief Minister Narendra Modi urging him to withdraw the decision.