The Supreme Court Wednesday declined the petitions of the 64 accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case seeking transfer of the trial outside Gujarat.

The petitioners had contended that the atmosphere in the state was too surcharged for a free and fair trial.

They had also referred to certain incidents, saying the trial against them would not be free of bias.

An apex court bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph, while disposing of the petitions, said the atmosphere in Gujarat was no longer surcharged and there was no apprehension of bias obstructing a free and fair trial.

The apex court said things have considerably “settled down” after the Godhra killings and hence the claim of the accused that the trial could not be held in a fair manner was mere apprehension.

The court ruled that there were no grounds for the transfer of the trial outside the state.

However, the court said if there were any new incidents giving rise to apprehensions of real obstruction to free and fair trial, the petitioners could again move the apex court.

The apex court had earlier in 2009 stayed the trial against the accused after the latter sought transfer of the cases outside the state on the ground that the prosecution and the investigating agencies were totally biased.

A series of 16 synchronised bombings ripped through Gujarat’s main city of Ahmedabad July 26, 2008, killing over 50 people and injuring many more. Nearly 20 bombs were recovered in Surat before they could go off.