Haren Pandya murder: SC allows CBI appeal on acquittal of 12

Jan 05, 2012 |

New Delhi

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The Supreme Court on Thursday admitted the appeal filed by the CBI and the Gujarat government challenging the High Court's acquittal of 12 convicts in the sensational murder of former state Home Minister Haren Pandya.

A bench of justices P. Sathasivam and J. Chelameshwar, while admitting the petition, issued notices to the convicts for their response. While Additional Solicitor General Harin Raval appeared for the CBI, senior counsel L. Nageshwar Rao and counsel Hemantika Wahi appeared for the state of Gujarat.

The appeal was filed by the investigating agency and the state police questioning the August 29, 2010, acquittal by the Gujarat High Court as being erroneous. The high court had, while acquitting the 12 convicts of the charges of murder, upheld the trial court's decision to convict them for criminal conspiracy, attempt to murder and offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Pandya, a former minister of state for home in the BJP government and once close to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was shot dead on March 26, 2003, in Ahmedabad when he was out for a morning walk.

According to CBI, Pandya was murdered to avenge the 2002 communal riots in the state.

The high court, while criticising CBI for botched-up investigations, had said, "What clearly stands out from the record of the present case is that the investigation in the case of murder of Haren Pandya has all through been botched up and blinkered and has left a lot to be desired."

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