Ask Gujarat to lodge Best Bakery convicts: Bombay high court

The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the state inspector general (prisons) to discuss with the Gujarat government the shifting of eight convicts in the Best Bakery case to Vadodara jail.

The convicts, whose appeal against conviction was admitted by the high court on Thursday, are lodged in the Kolhapur central prison since February 2007. After a Supreme Court direction, the trial was shifted to Maharashtra.

The convicts had written a letter to the court saying: “We are away from our families, which includes wives, children and parents. When they have to visit us, they end up travelling a long distance, which is very expensive. Most of our families are in financial crisis and so they end up not meeting us.”

They also said that they could not seek furlough leave from prison as none of their relatives were permanent residents of Maharashtra who could stand surety for them.

“We are only concerned that the accused may abscond,” justice BH Marlapalle said.  The court said the Gujarat prison authorities must undertake that they will produce the convicts in appeal before the high court if and when required.

The court asked the IG (prisons) to inform the court of the result of the correspondence in one week.