The Rajasthan government is preparing to file a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme court challenging the acquittal of convicts of the Jaipur serial blasts by the Rajasthan High Court. The cabinet minister in the Ashok Gehlot government Mahesh Joshi indicated this and said that the government will challenge the decision of the High Court in the Supreme Court after taking legal opinion.
"The decision of the special trial court has been quashed by the High Court, but the government still has the option of the Supreme Court. We are in the process of taking legal opinion and will go as far as we have to go to get the accused punished. The government will challenge the decision of the High Court in the Supreme Court," said Joshi to the media in Jaipur on Friday. Joshi is the MLA from the Hawa Mahal constituency of Jaipur city where most of the blasts took place in 2008.
Verdict worries govt with elections nearing
The issue has become important for the state government as the Department of Home is being headed by CM Ashok Gehlot himself. Besides this, the judgment came at a time when the assembly elections are nearing, so as per the reports and sources the state government cannot afford to leave the case as not only the opposition BJP but Gehlot’s former deputy Sachin Pilot has targeted the government on the acquittal of convicts.
Rajasthan high court has overruled death sentence
Notably, the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday acquitted all four accused in the Jaipur serial blasts 2008 case quashing the order of death sentence by the special trial court. The High court had raised serious questions on the investigation of the case and had made grave observations on the working of the state investigative agency.
