The Supreme Court Monday sought the Gujarat government’s stand on a joint plea by 64 suspected terrorists, allegedly involved in the 2008 serial bombings in five Indian cities, for shifting their trial outside the state.
A bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice T.S. Thakur sought the state’s stand on the plea by the suspects languishing in Sabarmati jail at Gandhinagar.
Appearing for the 64 Muslims youths, allegedly picked up by the Gujarat police from various states, advocate Prashant Bhushan sought the transfer of their trial outside the state alleging that the state police and judicial machinery are gravely biased against them.
Of 64 suspected terrorists, 22 belong to Gujarat while the remaining are from eight different states, said Bhushan.
He added that the state government, misusing a particular provision of the Criminal Procedure Code, has virtually confined them to the Sabarmati Jail and are not granting them permission even to be transported to various courts, where they are to be tried for their alleged roles in planting bombs in various Indian cities.
