2002 Gujarat riots: HC confirms life term to 14, acquits four

The Gujarat High Court on Friday confirmed lifetime imprisonment to 14 convicts and acquitted four others in connection with ode massacre case of 2002 Gujarat riots.

The state high court also confirmed seven years imprisonment to five others in the same case.

A special trial court had held 23 accused guilty in regards to the same.

A division bench of the court comprising justice Harsha Devani and justice A. S. Supehiya concluded the hearing and reserved the order in the case last August.

In 2012, a special court for Special Investigation Team (SIT) cases had sentenced 32 people to life imprisonment.

The convicts also included Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Maya Kodnani who was awarded 28 years of imprisonment and Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi who was sentenced to life imprisonment till death.

Apart from this, seven accused were given enhanced life imprisonment of 21 years and the remaining were given simple life imprisonment for 14 years.

All the convicts had appealed against their conviction in the High Court.

Around 58 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was torched at the Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002.

Following the incident, on February 28 the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal declared Gujarat Bandh. A total of 97 people were killed by rioters in Ahmedabad's Naroda Patiya area on this day.