(Image source from: Thehindu.com)

Gujarat HC Commutes Death To Life Term For 11 Convicts In Godhra Case:- Around 31 people were convicted and 63 were acquitted by a special SIT court on March 1, 2011 in the 2002 Godhra train coach burning case.

Maulana Umarji, the then president of Godhra Municipality, Mohammad Hussain Kalota, Mohammad Ansari and Nanumiya Chaudhary of Gangapur, Uttar Pradesh were those acquitted and were considered as the prime accused in the case. Around 94 could be put on trial before the SIT court, out of more than 30 accused persons. Some of the accused were nabbed and put on trial, even after the SIT court delivered its judgment on February 22, 2011.

(Image Source: Thehindu.com)

Later, challenging the conviction, several appeals were filed in the Gujarat High Court, while the state government had questioned the acquittal of 63 people.

The fire in the S-6 coach was not an accident, but it was set ablaze, concluded the Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat government. The Supreme Court, like eight other cases of post-Godhra riots, had earlier stayed the trial in this case too for five years on a petition filed by the NHRC. The SIT was ordered by the apex court to probe this case further.

The accused persons, during the trial, turned against their lawyers and to counter the allegation of conspiracy in this case, did not allow them to bring certain evidence.

And today, in a recent development, a bench of Justice AS Dave and Justice GR Udhwani reduced to “life in prison” the death sentence given to 11 convicts in the case. The verdict comes 29 months after they completed hearing arguments on appeals filed against the SIT court’s decision.   

To be recalled, triggering riots in the state, Coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Gujarat’s Godhra station on February 27, 2002. In the deadly incident, around 59 people, mostly “kar sevaks” returning from Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) were charred to death.

(Video Source: NTV Telugu)

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