Godhra case: Gujarat High Court commutes death sentence of 11 convicts; all you want to know
ECONOMICTIMES.COM|
Updated: Oct 09, 2017, 01.20 PM IST
NEW DELHI: The Gujarat High Court today commuted the death sentence of 11 convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case to life imprisonment. The death sentence was awarded by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) court on March 1, 2011. Here are the key details:
* On February 27, 2002, at least 58 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was torched at the Godhra Railway Station. Most of the victims were Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
* The incident triggered large-scale riots in Gujarat in which around 1,000 people were killed.
* 94 accused out of 130 could be put on trial before the SIT court. The SIT court delivered its first verdict on February 22, 2011.
* The SIT court convicted 31 people and acquitted 63. The court sentenced 11 people to death while 20 were given life imprisonment.
* Those acquitted included prime accused Maulana Umarji, the then president of Godhra Municipality Mohammad Hussain Kalota, Mohammad Ansari and Nanumiya Chaudhary of Gangapur, Uttar Pradesh.
* After the SIT verdict, several appeals were filed in the Gujarat HC.
* The Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat government, had also reported that the fire in the S-6 coach was not an accident, as the original impression was, but an attack.
(With PTI inputs)
* On February 27, 2002, at least 58 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was torched at the Godhra Railway Station. Most of the victims were Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
* The incident triggered large-scale riots in Gujarat in which around 1,000 people were killed.
* 94 accused out of 130 could be put on trial before the SIT court. The SIT court delivered its first verdict on February 22, 2011.
* The SIT court convicted 31 people and acquitted 63. The court sentenced 11 people to death while 20 were given life imprisonment.
* Those acquitted included prime accused Maulana Umarji, the then president of Godhra Municipality Mohammad Hussain Kalota, Mohammad Ansari and Nanumiya Chaudhary of Gangapur, Uttar Pradesh.
* After the SIT verdict, several appeals were filed in the Gujarat HC.
* The Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat government, had also reported that the fire in the S-6 coach was not an accident, as the original impression was, but an attack.
(With PTI inputs)
