The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of Shashikant, a key accused in the case pertaining to massacre of scores of people at Naroda Patiya during the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.

A bench comprising Justice B N Agarwal and Justice H K Sema directed the police to take the accused into custody while declining to exempt him from surrendering before the trial court.

Shashikant, an alleged local leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, was one among the 46 accused named in three FIRs lodged at the Naroda Patiya police station in 2002.

The Gujarat High Court had cancelled his bail after which he had approached the apex court.