In 2002 Best Bakery case, two accused acquitted after 21 years

Why you're reading this: A Mumbai court on Tuesday acquitted two accused in the 2002 Best Bakery case. Harshad Raoji Solanki and Mafat Manilal Gohli were accused in the burning down of Best Bakery in Vadodra during the Gujarat violence in 2002 in which 14 people died. Solanki and Gohli were facing charges of murder, attempt to murder and destruction of property under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).   

3 things you need to know:

• On March 31, 2002, Best Bakery in Vadodara's Hanuman Tekri area was burned down. 

• 14 people died in the incident. 

• Twenty-one years later, two accused in the case were acquitted.   

Best Bakery burned down    

On March 31, 2002, a bakery in Vadodara's Hanuman Tekri area was burned down. The incident happened during the violence that broke out in Gujarat after two bogies of the Sabarmati Express were set on fire by a mob. Fourteen people died in the incident and four others were injured. Zaheera Sheikh, daughter of the owner of the bakery Habibulla Sheikh, filed a police complaint, accusing 21 people.    

In the first phase of the trial in the Best Bakery case, the Mumbai sessions court in February 2006 convicted nine of the 17 people accused of murder. In 2012, the Bombay High Court acquitted five of those convicted for want of evidence but upheld the conviction of four others, who had been sentenced to life by the trial court.

In 2003, as many as 19 people were acquitted after the conclusion of the trial in a local court. Later, their acquittal was confirmed by the Gujarat High Court. One of the victims, Zahirabibi Shaikh, along with an NGO, moved the Supreme Court against the judgement.She had urged the apex court that the judgments and orders passed by the trial as well as the Gujarat High Court be set aside.  Accepting the plea, the SC remanded the matter to Maharashtra and ordered a retrial and reinvestigation by the police. 

(With inputs from PTI)