Monday, August 22 2005 19:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Within days of Supreme Court expressing displeasure over the inability of the Gujarat Police to arrest Shasikant, a key accused in the Naroda Patiya riots case, the State Government today (August 22, 2005) said it has arrested the accused who was on the run for three years.

After the State Government counsel said Sashikant alias Tinu Yuvraj alias Marathi was arrested on Friday, a Bench comprising Justice B N Agarwal and Justice A K Mathur directed the DGP to file an affidavit within a week explaining the circumstances under which the accused was arrested.

The accused was arrested by Gujarat police from Jalgaon in Khandesh region of Maharashtra.

Gujarat police had swung into action to arrest the accused, who ran a phone booth in Naroda Patiya area, as the apex Court had directed the police to file a report on the progress made in nabbing him.

The Court had also expressed its displeasure on the issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivaraj Patil besides the State Governor.

The Court was surprised that Shashikant had filed a petition before it for bail in the case but police failed to arrest him.

Shashikant is accused of leading the rioting mob that attacked the minority dominated Naroda Patiya area and killed over 80 people, including women and children, during post-Godhra riots.