The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday moved the Gujarat High Court and sought the cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to Minister of State for Women and Child Development Maya Kodnani and VHP leader Jaydeep Patel.

The two are accused in the Naroda Patia and Naroda Gam mass massacre cases of 2002, being investigated by the Supreme Court appointed team.

In all, the SIT filed three applications, two in case of Kodnani, who is accused of her alleged involvement in the Naroda Patia and Naroda Gam incidents and one in case of Patel, alleged to have been involved in the Naroda Gam case.

SIT officer Ashish Bhatia confirmed the development. He said they had challenged the bail orders as the accused were involved in heinous offences.

“We have contended that the judges have not applied their mind properly while granting bail to the accused,” said Bhatia.

The bail order of Kodnani was challenged after seeking permission from the state government. According to SIT officers, a government approval is required to challenge a bail given to a minister.

Kodnani and Patel had secured anticipatory bail from the City Sessions Court on February 5 after they were declared absconders by the SIT in February.

According to SIT sources, the two were declared absconders after they did not turn up before the investigating agency on January 29 and 31 despite summons issued to them.

Earlier, they had appeared before the SIT but the latter wanted to quiz them again in the wake of contradictions in their statements and their cellphone records. The two had stated that they were not in the Naroda area at the time of incident on February 28, 2002, but their cellphone records showed otherwise.

A number of witnesses had also stated before the SIT that they had seen them egging on the mob to attack the two localities inhabited by members of the minority community. The two have denied the allegations.