SC Sets Jan 15 Hearing For Godhra Train Burning Case, No More Adjournments

The Supreme Court on Thursday has scheduled a hearing for January 15 regarding the appeals filed by the Gujarat government and several convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case.

A bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal stated that no adjournments will be granted on the next hearing date.

Previously on February 27, 2002, the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set ablaze in Godhra, resulting in the deaths of 59 individuals and igniting widespread riots across Gujarat. Multiple appeals have been lodged in the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat High Court’s October 2017 decision, which upheld the convictions of several defendants while commuting the death sentences of 11 individuals to life imprisonment.

In February 2023, the Gujarat government informed the Supreme Court of its intention to seek the reinstatement of the death penalties for the 11 convicts whose sentences were reduced by the High Court. During the latest hearing, counsel for the Gujarat government, Swati Ghildiyal, requested a postponement, citing another matter she was scheduled to argue before a different bench concerning the death penalty.

The bench noted the necessity of understanding the individual cases and the prosecution’s arguments before proceeding, indicating that the hearing could take at least three days. They confirmed that the case would be listed for January 15, 2025, as requested.

Earlier proceedings revealed that the trial court had sentenced 11 individuals to death while 20 others received life sentences. The High Court had upheld a total of 31 convictions but commuted the death sentences of the 11 convicts to life imprisonment. The state has appealed this commutation, while several convicts have contested the High Court’s affirmation of their convictions.