New Delhi, Oct 09: The Supreme Court today asked the Gujarat government to vet with the Attorney General of India the names of special public prosecutors appointed for conducting trial of Gujarat riot cases and appointed former Solicitor General of India Harish Salve as amicus curiae in Gujarat matters pending before the court. A three judge bench, headed by Chief Justice V N Khare, asked the Gujarat government to go with the names of the special prosecutors to Attorney General Soli Sorabjee for his clearance. Appearing for the Gujarat government, additional advocate general Mukul Rohtagi agreed to the suggestion of the AG which found favour with the court. Rohtagi said the Gujarat government, in its appeal before the high court, challenging acquittal of all the 21 accused in the Best Bakery case has amended its grounds of appeal and sought re-trial as well as further enquiry into the ghastly crime in which 14 people were burnt alive. Earlier, the Gujarat Government appointed Rakesh Asthana (IG Baroda Range), who has been overseeing the Godhra investigations, and P P Pande (IG Crime Branch, Ahmedabad) who has been looking after the high profile crime and Pota cases,to oversee the five major riot cases.
The court, while appointing Salve as amicus, asked him to go through all petitions and paper books filed in the court in connection with the post-Godhra riot cases and give his recommendations to the court on next Friday when the matter will be heard again.
The NHRC pointed out that the grounds of appeal amended by the Gujarat government before the high court did not seek trial of the case by an independent agency or CBI.
It said the Gujarat government, responsible for faulty probe, has shifted the entire blame for the acquittal of the accused to the Vadodara fast track court.
Quoting the trial court judgement, NHRC counsel P P Rao said that the judgement in the Best Bakery case clearly indicated that police had collected wrong evidence and booked wrong accused.
Bureau Report