The special public prosecutors appointed in the Best Bakery case will have to be vetted by Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee, Supreme Court told the Gujarat government on Thursday.

Justice V N Khare, S B Sinha, Dr A R Lakshmanan also appointed former solicitor general Harish Salve as amicus curiae. 

At the prompting of the Supreme Court, the Gujarat government had recently filed an appeal in the Gujarat high court against the verdict of the trial court in the Best Bakery case, in which all the 21 accused had been acquitted. Salve will assist the prosecution in the trial before the Gujarat high court and seek directions from the apex court as and when necessary.

Senior Supreme Court advocate Bhargav Desai will be the advocate-on-record and assist Salve.

Appearing for the Gujarat government, Additional Advocate General Mukul Rohtagi agreed to the suggestion.

Rohtagi said the Gujarat government in its amended appeal before the high court has sought re-trial and further enquiry into the crime in which 14 people were burnt alive.

The court asked Salve to go through all petitions and paper books filed in the court in connection with the post-Godhra riot cases and give his recommendations to the court on next Friday when the matter will be heard again.

The National Human Rights Commission pointed out the grounds of appeal amended by the Gujarat government before the high court did not seek trial of the case by an independent agency or the Central Bureau of Investigation.

It said the Gujarat government, responsible for faulty probe, has shifted the entire blame for the acquittal of the accused to the Vadodara Fast Track court.

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