Godhra case: Death sentence for 11, life terms for 20
By ANITuesday, March 1, 2011
AHMEDABAD - A special court in Ahmedabad on Tuesday awarded the death penalty to eleven accused and life imprisonment to 20 others in the 2002 Godhra train burning case.
Designated Judge PR Patel hearing the case inside the Sabarmati Central Jail pronounced the quantum of punishment to those who were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder.
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)
