An Ahmedabad special trial court on Friday sentenced former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani to 28 years in jail over her role in the infamous Naroda Patiya riots of 2002, while former state Bajrang Dal chief Babu Bajrangi will have to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Kodnani, a three-time MLA, is considered close to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.
The order comes at a time when Mr Modi is gearing up for Assembly polls and is seeking a larger role at the national level.
Seven of the 30 others convicted were given “enhanced life imprisonment”, which starts only after they complete their first 10 years in jail. Twenty-two of the convicts were awarded “normal” life imprisonment, which usually means 14 years in jail. One convict is absconding and therefore could not be sentenced. The prosecution sought the maximum sentence, the death penalty, for all accused. The court, rejecting this, said: “Death penalty brings justice, and is desirable to reduce crime in society; but this court cannot overlook global trends in recent years. By 2009, 139 countries had repealed death sentences, and there is a global campaign against the death penalty. Progressive societies advocate restricting the death penalty, and this court believes use of death undermines human dignity.” The Naroda Patiya case is a landmark: for the maximum number of people convicted for communal violence. This was also the worst instance of rioting investigated by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT, in which 97 persons from a minority community were killed in 2002.