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
