Godhra verdict: 31 convicted, prime accused acquitted

A special court on Tuesday held 31 people guilty of burning a train in Gujarat’s Godhra in 2002 killing 59 Hindu religious volunteers and triggering a backlash on Muslims that witnessed one of the worst communal riots in post-Independence India.

The death of 59 people triggered the riots in which nearly 1200 people were killed in Gujarat and tainted the track record of chief minister Narendra Modi, otherwise held as one of the best chief ministers of India who took the state to new heights of economic prosperity.

The court held 31 accused of burning the train in Godhra guilty, built 63, including the prime accused Maulavi Umarji, were acquitted.

The special court, which held the guilty under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code for Godhra train burning case eight years ago, will pronounce the quantum of sentence on Feb 25 (Friday).

Welcoming the verdict, India?s main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules Gujarat, said justice had prevailed despite the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre trying to cover up the issue.

The verdict was to determine the role of over 90 people, accused of conspiring and burning the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express on Feb 27, 2002 in which about 59 people, mostly Kar Sevaks (religious volunteers) returning from Ayodhya, were charred to death.

The court said there was a conspiracy behind the attack on the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express.

The main accused Maulvi Umarji, however, has been acquitted due to lack of evidence.

A 2002 report by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had accused Maulvi Umarji of ordering a mob to burn the S-6 coach carrying Kar Sevaks.

The BJP, whose chief minister Narendra Modi has been accused of condoning the violence on the Muslims after the Godhra incident, was happy with the verdict, but sniffed conspiracy over the acquittal of the prime suspect.

“There has been a degree of assurance that law and justice has prevailed. There were politicians who were trying to demean it. In fact, the UPA government tried to cover up the issue,” BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad told reporters outside the Parliament in New Delhi.

“You remember the (UC) Banerjee Committee report? A retired judge of Supreme Court, under the directives from the then Raliway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, gave a collusive report that the fire was lit from inside?and said it was accidental,” Prasad said.

Prasad said there was a conspiracy behind the acquittal of Umarji.

“Conspiracy has been established over the prime accused?s acquittal,” said Prasad.