Date:18/04/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/04/18/stories/2003041805050101.htm

Front Page

Bail plea rejected

By Our Special Correspondent

Ahmedabad April 17. The special court, set up to try the accused in the Godhra train carnage case, held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), today rejected the bail applications of 56 persons.

It also extended by eight days the police remand of Abdul Sattar, a transporter, based in Mumbai, who was arrested last week for allegedly providing shelter to some of the prime accused.

The POTA special judge, Sonia Gokani, had earlier reserved the ruling on the bail applications. But on reviewing them, she agreed with the prosecution that it would not be safe to grant bail. Though 123 persons have been arrested and charged under POTA, only 56 had applied for bail. About a dozen of the accused, who were not charged with direct involvement in the carnage, were granted bail earlier.