Godhra case: Court to decide quantum of sentence today
By ANIFriday, February 25, 2011
AHMEDABAD - A special court in Ahmedabad is slated to pronounce the quantum of punishment for the 31 convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case today.
Judge PR Patel, who conducted the trial inside the Sabarmati Central Jail premises, would pronounce the quantum of punishment after hearing the 31 accused who have been found guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder, among other charges.
The Court, on February 22, convicted 31 and acquitted 63 others, including the prime conspirator Maulvi Hussain Umarji
The court accepted the prosecution’s contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident.
Apart from the charges of murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, the accused were convicted under IPC sections 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324, 325, 326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act.
The Court pronounced judgment on the role of over 90 people accused of conspiring and burning the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002. Fifty-nine people, mostly Kar Sewaks returning from Ayodhya, were killed in the incident.
Following the incident, widespread communal riots broke out in various parts of Gujarat in which over 1,000 people, mostly from the minority community, were killed. (ANI)
