Two Naroda Patiya convicts who jumped parole arrested

The city police's special operations group (SOG) has arrested two convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case who had jumped parole.

Pintu Jadeja and Dinesh Barge were released on parole in May and June respectively, the SOG said in a statement.

They were nabbed yesterday from different areas in Ahmedabad, the statement said.

With their arrest, three of four convicts who jumped parole in the case have been caught.

The Sabarmati central jail authorities had lodged a case when the four did not return after their parole ended, following which the police launched a search.

On Sunday, the police arrested Prakash Chhara, one of the four who was absconding. Police is on the look out for the fourth convict, Shasikant Kadam.

All four were awarded were sentenced to life in prison by a special SIT court on August 30, 2012 for their role in the Naroda Patiya massacre.

As many as 32 accused, including former BJP minister Maya Kodnani, had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the court.

Their appeals challenging the sentence are being heard by the Gujarat High Court.

Ninety seven people belonging to the minority community were killed in a riot in Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning incident in which 59 kar sevaks were killed.