The Supreme Court has dismissed review petitions filed by the accused in the murder case of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya in 2003.

The bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Vineet Saran observed that its judgment restoring conviction of the accused does not suffer from any error apparent warranting its reconsideration. It also refused the plea seeking hearing of the Review Petitions in Open Court.

In July, the Court had allowed appeals filed by CBI and the Gujarat government challenging the acquittal of the accused by the High Court. Along with this, the Court had also dismissed a plea by Centre for Public Interest Litigation for further probe into the case. CPIL was imposed costs of Rs.50,000/- for the petition, which the Court found to be lacking in bonafides.

Pandya was minister in the then Narendra Modi-led state government in Gujarat. He was shot dead on March 26, 2003 in Ahmedabad near Law Garden during morning walk. According to the CBI, he was murdered to avenge the 2002 communal riots in the state. The trial court had convicted 12 persons for the murder of Pandya in June 2007.

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