31 get life sentence for massacre during Gujarat riots at Sardarpura

On Wednesday a court convicted and sentenced 31 people to life imprisonment for killing dozens of minority people by setting a building on fire during one of the worst rounds of communal violence which took place nine years ago.

Judge S.T. Srivastava also acquitted 41 others of murder charges for lack of evidence.

Those who are convicted can go for appeal in the High Court.

The worst violence happened in the year 2002 when more than 1,000 people were killed.

During rioting, a building was set on fire in a village in Mehsana district, nearly 40 kilometres north of Ahmedabad. Thirty-three Muslims, including 20 women, who had taken shelter were burned alive.

Two of the suspects died during the trial that was accelerated by the orders from the Supreme Court.

A Special Court in Gujarat on Wednesday convicted 31 of the 73 accused in the 2002 Godhra riot case in which 33 people of a minority community were burnt alive.

The quantum of punishment is likely to be pronounced later in the day by District and Sessions Judge S C Srivastava after hearing the convicts.

Out of the 42 acquitted, 11 were freed due to lack of evidence, while 31 were given the benefit of doubt and have been asked to submit a solvency bond of Rs. 25,000 each. The court has also directed them not to leave the country without its permission.

The 31 convicted have been charged with murder, attempt to murder, rioting and other sections of Indian Penal Code, while the charges of criminal conspiracy against them were dropped by the court.

People of the minority community took shelter in a house owned by one Ibrahim Sheikh. However, the mob set on fire the house after pouring petrol, in which 33 people, including 22 women, were burnt to death.

Out of the all accused, 76 people were arrested in the Sardarpura case by the police, out of which two people died during the pendency of the trial, while one was a juvenile, against whom, trial was in a Juvenile Court.

The court has framed charges against 73 accused in June 2009 and initiated the trial in the case.

The prosecution alleged that the attack on minority community were pre-planned and the conspiracy was emerged by some local leader, following the Godhra train accident.

News reported by AR for Newsvision