The Gujarat
High Court on Wednesday commenced hearing on the appeals filed in the Godhra carnage
case, four years after the special SIT court convicted 31 persons
for burning the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express near Godhra station on February
27, 2002. In all, 59 kar sevaks were killed in the carnage.
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| Picture courtesy : Indian Express |
The trial court has sentenced 11 accused to death and 20 others to life
imprisonment. The Court also acquitted 63 others of all charges framed against
them.
There
are different sets of appeals before the Gujarat High Court-one set of appeals
filed by the convicts against their conviction and sentence, the other set of
appeals filed by the government questioning the acquittals and demanding enhancement
of punishment for the 20 convicts who have been given life sentence to death
penalty, as well as appeals filed by relatives of the deceased.
During
the trial of the case, three accused, including Shaukat Patalia, who was later convicted,
died. One Maulana Umerji and Yusuf Kazi, who were acquitted, also died during
this period.
The
appeals are being heard by a Bench comprising of Justice Anant Dave and Justice
G R Udhwani.
The
state government took more than three years to compile and print the paper-book
of the bulky records in this case, which runs into more than 60 volumes.
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