The Supreme Court has scheduled the final hearing of appeals filed by the Gujarat government and several convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case for May 6 and 7. The hearing will address the appeals against the Gujarat High Court’s October 2017 verdict, which had upheld the convictions of several individuals involved in the case, while commuting the death sentences of 11 convicts to life imprisonment.
A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal, while setting the dates for the hearing, instructed senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing one of the convicts, to submit a revised compilation of his arguments by May 3. The revised compilation should contain detailed headings on the charges against the convict, findings from lower courts, and supporting evidence to counter the charges. The bench also asked the counsel for other convicts and the Gujarat government to file similar revised compilations of their arguments.
Justice Maheshwari further clarified that the hearing would require at least two weeks to complete, stating that no other cases would be heard on May 6 and 7 unless specifically requested by the court. The bench also directed the registry to seek orders from the Chief Justice of India, if necessary, to accommodate the hearing schedule.
The case stems from the tragic incident on February 27, 2002, when 59 people were killed in the burning of the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express in Godhra, Gujarat. The attack led to widespread riots across the state, with significant loss of life and property. In the years following the attack, several individuals were convicted in connection with the incident, including the masterminds and perpetrators.
The Gujarat High Court had upheld the convictions of 31 individuals involved in the attack, but it had commuted the death sentences of 11 convicts to life imprisonment, a decision that is being challenged by the Gujarat government in the Supreme Court. The state has made it clear that it seeks the reinstatement of the death penalty for the 11 convicts whose sentences were commuted.
Meanwhile, several of the convicts have also filed appeals in the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s ruling that upheld their convictions.
The outcome of the Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing will have significant implications for the legal proceedings in the case, particularly concerning the death penalty for the 11 convicts and the overall accountability for the tragic events that transpired in Godhra more than two decades ago.
Sources By Agencies