In a setback to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Godhra and the subsequent riots cases,the Supreme Court has refused the plea for custodial interrogation of accused persons. A bench of Justices S B Sinha and Mukundakam Sharma dismissed the plea on the ground that neither any sufficient material was produced before the court,nor the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) provided for such a method. "Furthermore,in this case the Special Investigation Team has already submitted its report to this court. Nothing has been pointed out before us as to why even the bail granted to the appellants should be cancelled so as to enable us to consider that question independently," a bench observed in its judgement. The bench passed the order while setting aside a Gujarat High Court verdict directing police custody of Mithabhai Pashabhai Patel and five other persons allegedly involved in the communal violence that occured on August 20,2002 at Vadvasa Patia village near Prantij. After a few days of the incident,they were arrested and granted bail.
