Vadodara: A sessions court in Mumbai has acquitted two accused in the Best Bakery case of Vadodara. These individuals had been held in jail for 10 years before being declared innocent on Tuesday.

Following the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, a mob set fire to the Best Bakery in Vadodara, resulting in the death of 14 people. Zahira Shaikh, the daughter of the bakery owner, filed a complaint against 21 individuals. The local police then filed the case in the fast track court of Vadodara. In June 2003, a total of 19 accused were released due to lack of evidence. However, Harshad Solanki and Mahat Gohil remained in judicial custody for 10 years starting from December 13, 2013.

Zahira, with the assistance of Teesta Setalvad, challenged the court’s ruling in the Supreme Court. As a result, the Supreme Court ordered that the case be transferred to the Mumbai court. During the investigation, the police apprehended four individuals, including Solanki and Gohil, in connection with the Ajmer blast case. Subsequently, the Mumbai court declared the two accused as absconding.

The Mumbai court sentenced nine out of the 21 accused to lifetime imprisonment after finding them guilty. Eight of the accused were acquitted, and five of the nine individuals serving life imprisonment were released in 2012. DeshGujarat