Gujarat police worthless: SC

Taking a serious view of the inability of the Gujarat police to apprehend the main accused in a post-Godhra riot case, the Supreme Court today said either they were conniving with the accused or "worthless".

A Bench comprising Justice BN Agrawal and Justice AK Mathur hearing an anticipatory bail petition filed by Sashikant alias Tino Yuvraj"" the main accused in the Naroda Patiya riots case, said despite repeated directions from the apex court to the director-general of police, the Gujarat police had not been able to apprehend the accused.

"Either the police are conniving with the accused or wholly worthless," the Bench said while posting the matter for further hearing on August 22.

It gave an ultimatum to the DGP saying if no satisfactory progress was made by the next date of hearing then it would require the personal presence of the police official to explain the position to the court.

When the petition seeking anticipatory bail was filed, the court noticed that the accused had not surrendered to the authorities and directed the police to take him into custody.

After perusing the latest report filed by the DGP, the Bench observed that the report did not mention whether the police has taken any step under Sections 82 and 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code providing for attachment of properties of the proclaimed offenders.