5 acquitted, four get life term in Best Bakery case

 Monday, July 9, 2012: The Bombay High Court on Monday awarded life sentences to four people and acquitted another five accused in the 2002 Best Bakery case.


A division bench of Justices VM Kanade and PD Kode passed the order in response to an appeal filed by the nine accused, who have earlier challenged the life sentence awarded to them by the lower court.


The bench had in March commenced day-to-day hearing in the appeals filed by the nine convicted, challenging the lower court’s order sentencing them to life imprisonment six years back. The bench had earlier reserved its judgement in the case after hearing both the defence and prosecution.


On March 1, 2002, two days after the Godhra carnage, a mob had attacked Best Bakery in Vadodara, looting and burning it down and killing 14 people. The mob targeted the Muslims inside, including the Sheikh family which ran the bakery.


Three Hindu workers employed at the bakery were also killed. Of the 17 accused, nine were convicted and sentenced to life by a special court in Mumbai in 2006. The nine had then approached the High Court challenging the order.