A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud granted bail to all the eight convicts.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to eight convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case. However, the bail applications of the four other convicts were rejected considering their role.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud granted bail to the eight convicts on the ground that they had spent more than 17 years in jail.
These eight people were the ones who were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and their sentence was upheld by the Gujarat High Court’s order.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the bail applications of the convicts, who were sentenced to death by the trial court but commuted to life imprisonment by the Gujarat High Court.
The Gujarat government on Monday reiterated that the convicts in the Godhra train coach burning case were involved in serious crimes. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before the apex court that the accused had locked the doors of the train from outside.
However, the lawyers for the convicts said that they have spent 17 years in jail.
On February 27, 2002, at least 58 people lost their lives when some coaches of the Sabarmati Express caught fire at Godhra railway station in Gujarat.
This incident sparked large scale riots in Gujarat. In 2011 a local court convicted 31 of the accused and acquitted 63.
The trial court had sentenced 11 accused to death and 20 to life imprisonment.
The Gujarat High Court later upheld the trial court’s conviction of 31 accused, but commuted the death sentences of 11 to life imprisonment.
Challenging the High Court order, the convicts moved the Supreme Court.
The appeal is pending in the Supreme Court since 2018.