Ahmedabad, July 21: Gujarat High Court today issued notices to the state government on an appeal challenging an order of a Special Pota court which rejected bail of Maulvi Hussain Umarji, prime accused in the Sabarmati train carnage. The appeal was filed on Friday last urging the high court to quash the July 7 order of Pota court.

A division bench of Justice N G Nandi and R R Tripati issued notices returnable on July 30. Advocate Mahesh Bhatt, appearing for Umarji, alleged that the Pota court had rejected bail plea merely relying on the "hearsay" evidence of co-accused Zabir bin Yameen Behra, based on whose confessional statement, the Maulvi was arrested on February 5.

The defence counsel said "Behra in his confessional statement had said Bilal Haji and Farouq Bhana had told him on February 26 they had met Maulvi Saheb and he had allegedly told them to burn the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express."

"Behra had no personal knowlegdge as to what Maulvi had told them", Bhatt argued.

Umarji, a local religious leader and cleric in Godhra, was arrested by special investigation team from his residence in the signal Falia locality on February 5. Bureau Report