A Godhra court granted bail to Rajgadh MLA Fatehsinh Chauhan on Friday, after eyewitnesses failed to identify him during an identification parade. Earlier, a court had remanded him in custody for two days.

“At the identification parade held in the presence of an executive magistrate, the eyewitnesses could not identify Chauhan,” said J P Sutharia, the circle police inspector of Devgadh Baria.

According to the Devgadh Baria police, who had arrested Chauhan on June 29, the court had ordered the remand for Chauhan for his alleged involvement in a rioting incident where houses and shops in 21 villages were burnt in February 2002, during the post-Godhra riots in the state. Sutharia said Chauhan was interrogated about his hideouts in the last six months after a local court in Lunawada had issued an arrest warrant against him following the reinvestigation ordered by the Supreme Court. Chauhan also got bail from the Lunawada court for using cusswords against Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a BJP meeting in Lunawada town hall ahead of the General Elections, in which Chauhan violated the EC guidelines.