Godhra train burning case judgement: Gujarat High Court likely to pronounce verdict today; key things to know

Godhra train burning case judgement: The Gujarat High Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Monday in connection with burning of coach S-6 of Sabarmati Express at Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002. (PTI image)

Godhra train burning case judgement: The Gujarat High Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Monday in connection with burning of coach S-6 of Sabarmati Express at Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002, according to reports. 59 people were killed and the incident had sparked communal riots in the state, according to Indian Express report. The High Court will pronounce its verdict on a set of appeals challenging convictions and acquittals by a special SIT court in the 2002 Godhra train coach burning case.

Here are key things you must know about Godhra train burning case judgement

1. Coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express, in which 59 people, mostly ‘kar sevaks’ returning from Ayodhya were travelling, was burnt on February 27, 2002 at the Godhra station, triggering riots in the state.

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2. The special SIT court had on March 1, 2011 convicted 31 people and acquitted 63 in the case. While 11 people were sentenced to death, 20 were given life in jail, according to PTI report.

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

4. The court had convicted 31 people while accepting the prosecution’s contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident. All the 31 were convicted under IPC sections related to murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy.

5. Those acquitted included the prime accused, Maulana Umarji, the then president of Godhra Municipality Mohammad Hussain Kalota, Mohammad Ansari and Nanumiya Chaudhary of Gangapur, Uttar Pradesh.

6. The Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat government to probe the carnage, had concluded that the fire in the S-6 coach was not an accident, but it was set ablaze.

7. In July, the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) has arrested one Imran, alias Sheru, who is alleged to have played a key role in setting coach S-6 of Sabarmati Express on fire at Godhra railway station

8. Imran had been absconding for the last 14 years, Joint Commissioner of Police (DCB) J K Bhatt was quoted as saying by IE. “Imran is accused of setting the coach (S-6) on fire. His name figures in the second chargesheet as one of the core accused who had direct role in the offence,” Bhatt said.