Court proceedings against Harin Pathak stayed

AHMEDABAD, DEC 14: The Gujarat High Court has stayed all proceedings against former Union Minister of State for Defence Production Harin Pathak, former Gujarat Health Minister Ashok Bhatt and seven others, accused in the April 22, 1985 riots case.

A single-judge bench of Justice A K Trivedi, while admitting a miscellaneous criminal application filed by the accused on Wednesday to quash the complaint filed against them, has fixed the final date for hearing on December 26. All the proceedings, including those in the sessions court as well as the previous order of the High Court to produce the report of the court inquiry commission, had been stayed till that date. The two ministers had resigned after the sessions court framed charges against them.

Appearing on behalf of the accused, senior advocate S B Vakil contended that the complaint filed under Section 188 of IPC along with the charges were not in accordance with the law and the criminal procedural code was not followed by the police.