The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the bail applications of 15 convicts of the Godhra train burning case. The apex Court would consider the bail applications on December 15. This incident took place on 27 February 2002.
The State of Gujarat was asked by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha to specify the individual roles of the convicts, based on which their applications for bail can be considered.
The bench also noted the fact that all of them have undergone 17-18 years of the sentence.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, who is appearing for the State of Gujarat told the bench that the case was not “mere stone-pelting” by the convicts, as their acts prevented people from escaping the burning train coach, which resulted in many issues including death.
The earlier bail application of the convict, Faruk, was only listed before the bench.
When the Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, urged for adjourning the matter to January, Faruk’s counsel requested the bench to post the matter before vacations, stating that it is the second time that the State is seeking adjournment for the same.
All the other convicts’ counsels also requested the bench to consider their bail applications as well. In reference to this, the bench asked the question “Why don’t they file bail applications” to which the counsel replied that along with the special leave petitions filed in 2018, the bail applications were already filed.
Further, the Solicitor General said that the bail applications were ordered to be heard along with the main appeals.
Later the bench said that before any other thing, it would consider the bail applications of all convicts on December 15.
The Godhra Riots, which took place on February 27, 2002, in which 59 Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks returning from Ayodhya were killed in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station in the state of Gujarat. The causes of the fire are frequently disputed. The event is widely perceived as the trigger for the Gujarat riots, which resulted in the loss of life, destruction of property, and homelessness. Estimates of casualties range from the official figures of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus and a total of 2,000 casualties
