Today, On 26th September, The Supreme Court set to hear appeals on January 15 related to the 2002 Godhra train burning case. The Gujarat government is challenging the Gujarat High Court’s decision, which upheld several convictions but commuted death sentences to life imprisonment. The state is seeking to reinstate the death penalty for 11 convicts.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court announced that it will hear the appeals related to the 2002 Godhra train burning case, filed by the Gujarat government and several convicts, on January 15.
A bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal emphasized that no further adjournments will be granted on the next hearing date, ensuring that the case proceeds without delays.
On February 27, 2002, 59 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire in Godhra, Gujarat, igniting widespread riots in the state.
Multiple appeals have since been submitted to the Supreme Court, challenging the Gujarat High Court’s 2017 decision, which upheld several convictions and commuted death sentences for 11 convicts to life imprisonment. In February last year, the Gujarat government informed the Supreme Court that it intended to pursue death penalties for those whose sentences had been reduced to life terms.
A batch of pleas heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday concerning the Godhra train burning case. Swati Ghildiyal, representing the Gujarat government, requested an adjournment due to a scheduling conflict. The bench, however, emphasized the need to understand the details of each case and ascertain individual roles, noting that the hearing would require at least three days.
Scheduling the hearing for January 15, 2025, the bench stated,
“We will not adjourn on the next date,”
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The state’s counsel reiterated that 11 convicts had their death sentences commuted to life terms by the High Court.
The Gujarat government appealed against the High Court’s decision to commute the death sentences of 11 convicts to life imprisonment. Meanwhile, several of those convicts have also filed appeals, challenging the High Court’s ruling that upheld their convictions in the 2002 Godhra train burning case.
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