In a post-Godhra 2002 riots case in which three persons belonging to the minority community were killed in Viramgam town of Ahmedabad district, the Gujarat High Court on Monday sentenced seven persons to life imprisonment, including three accused who were earlier acquitted by the trial court in 2011.
Out of the seven who have been found guilty of murder and other offences by the High Court, three were acquitted by the trial court while four others were convicted for lesser offences but not murder.
However, the Division Bench of the court comprising Justices Harsha Devani and Biresn Vaishnav held them guilty of murder and awarded life imprisonment to them while confirming life imprisonment to two other accused. Of the total 10 accused, nine have been awarded lifer by the court for brutal massacre of three persons during the 2002 communal riots in the State.
The incident had happened on February 28 when a mob was demolishing a local shrine. When the minority community members tried to prevent the shrine demolition, the mob attacked and killed two persons on the spot while one more died of injuries at VS hospital in Ahmedabad.
This is the second such case which saw the High Court reversing the trial court verdict. Earlier last week, the High Court convicted 10 of the 27 accused in another post-Godhra case involving murder of two Muslims in village Meta Adraj in Mehsana district.
As per the case details, a mob of around 200 people had burnt alive Kalu Miyan Saiyed and his daughter Hasina Bibi on March 3, 2002.
After the incident, the trial court in 2005 had acquitted all 27 accused booked by the police. Subsequently, the trial court verdict was challenged in the High Court. The court will pronounce quantum of sentence on August 4.
