Supreme Court to Review Godhra Train Burning Appeals on February 13
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Synopsis
The Supreme Court has set February 13 for hearing criminal appeals related to the 2002 Godhra train burning case. The court expressed frustration over repeated adjournments and clarified protocols regarding remission. The incident resulted in the deaths of 59 individuals and sparked significant riots in Gujarat.
Key Takeaways
- Hearing for Godhra train burning appeals set for February 13.
- Supreme Court expressed frustration over adjournment requests.
- 59 fatalities in the Godhra incident triggered statewide riots.
- Trial court sentenced individuals to death and life imprisonment.
- Government appealing against commutation of sentences.
New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has scheduled February 13 for a hearing concerning a series of criminal appeals related to the 2002 Godhra train burning incident.
Demonstrating frustration over repeated requests for adjournments, a panel consisting of Justices J. K. Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar stated that the hearings had been postponed multiple times and, after considerable hesitation, has placed the matter at the top of the agenda for February 13.
Justice Maheshwari's panel asserted that the appropriate government must evaluate remission regardless of the appeal's status.
In February 2002, a tragic event occurred when 59 individuals lost their lives as a train coach was set ablaze in Gujarat's Godhra, which subsequently ignited riots across the state.
A trial court found 31 individuals guilty in March 2011, resulting in 11 receiving the death penalty and 20 sentenced to life imprisonment, while 63 others were acquitted.
Subsequently, in October 2017, the Gujarat High Court affirmed the convictions but commuted the death sentences of the 11 to life imprisonment.
The convicts have submitted appeals against their convictions, and the Gujarat government has also filed an appeal regarding the reduction of the death penalty to life sentences.
In August 2023, the Supreme Court denied bail to three convicts involved in stone pelting and the theft of gold ornaments, as identified by the trial court. Their applications for bail until the Supreme Court resolves their appeal were rejected, with the court clarifying that this dismissal does not affect the merits of their pending appeal.
Earlier in April 2023, the Supreme Court granted bail to eight convicts while denying it to four others.
