2002 Naroda Patiya riot case: Gujarat High Court likely to pronounce verdict

Representational picture

The Gujarat High Court might pronounce a verdict on the appeals in relation to the 2002 Naroda Patiya riot case. The riot saw 97 Muslims massacred and happened after the Godhra riots. 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.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI)

Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTICatch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates