New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to eight convicts in the Godhra train burning case. The apex court, however, rejected the bail pleas of the four convicts. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was hearing the matter. The Supreme Court gave this verdict on the same day. The accused have been in jail for 17 years and have been granted bail on humanitarian grounds.
On February 27, 2002, 59 people were killed in a fire that broke out in the S6 coach of Sabarmati Express at Godhra station in Gujarat. Many of them were kar sevaks.
They were returning from Ayodhya when they were attacked. This led to violence in all of Gujarat. The next day, the fire of communal violence was ignited in Paliad village of Gandhinagar. Many minority families were affected. It was alleged that the incident in Godhra on that day was planned by the accused. The train compartment was set on fire. And stones were also thrown at the train.
The eight people who were granted bail on Friday were sentenced to life imprisonment. A total of 11 people were sentenced to death by the trial court in the case. Twenty people were sentenced to life in prison. The Supreme Court had rejected the death sentence of the four persons whose bail pleas were rejected and sentenced to life imprisonment.
