11 get death,20 life for Godhra carnage

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: A special court on Tuesday ordered death by hanging for 11 people and
life terms to 20 others for burning the S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express on Fe
bruary 27,2002,killing 59 people,most of them kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya.
This is the highest number of death sentences in any rioting and murder case,say
lawyers.
The incident sparked riots across Gujarat in which nearly 1,200 people were kill
ed.The trial court verdict has to be confirmed by the high court.
Calling the Godhra killings rarest of rare incidents,additional sessions judge P
R Patel pronounced death for 11,including Abdul Kurkur,owner of the guesthouse
where the plot was hatched,and ex-Godhra councillor Bilal Ismail,a conspirator.
Its a fit case for appeal in higher courts
Jabir Binyamin Behra,whose confession before the magistrate gave out the whole c
onspiracy,also got death.Earlier the court let off Maulvi Husain Umarji who,Behr
a had said,was the mastermind of the train burning plot.
The court found all of them guilty of being actively involved in stocking petrol
and burning the S-6 coach to kill the kar sevaks.The motive of the murders was
anger against the kar sevaks,the court said.
We presume that the court may have found their active involvement in hatching th
e conspiracy, said special prosecutor J M Panchal.
The 20 sentenced for life are also guilty of conspiracy and murder besides 22 ot
her charges under IPC,Indian Railways Act and other laws,after establishing thei
r presence at the crime scene.Defence counsel I M Munshi said the decision was d
ifficult to swallow.This judgment is probably the first where so many people are
getting death.It is a fit case for appeal in higher courts, he said.TNN

MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR HEINOUS CRIME

THE CRIME
Feb 27,2002 | A 1,500-strong mob killed 59 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya
WHAT TRIAL COURT SAID
Its the rarest of rare incidents.All 31 are guilty of being actively involved in
stocking petrol and burning the coach
OTHER MASS CONVICTIONS

Bombay Bomb Blasts: In 2007,100 people were convicted for the 1993 Bombay blasts
.12 got death,20 life terms

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination: In 1998,all 26 accused got death.On appeals,SC reduc

ed the death sentences to four

Laxmanpur-Bathe Massacre: On 7 April,2010,16 members of Ranvir Sena,a rightwing

outfit,were sentenced to hang for the 1997 Jahanabad massacre
Dandupalya Gang Case: In 2010,a special court sentenced 11 members of the Dandup
alya gang to death for a series of murders in Karnataka