Ahmedabad, February 22: The judgment in the 2002 Godhra train burning case is expected to be pronounced by a special fast-track court here on Tuesday.
The verdict, to be given by the special court of additional sessions judge P R Patel, will be the first among the nine 2002 Gujarat riots cases in which the Supreme Court had ordered further probe by a Special Investigation Team. The fast-track court had reserved its judgment in September last year.
Fifty-nine persons were killed when an unidentified mob attacked S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express near Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002. Most of the dead were members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad who were returning from Ayodhya.
At present, 95 persons are undergoing trial in the case. Of them, 80 are lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad. Fifteen are out on bail and five other accused are juvenile. Another 16 accused in the case are absconding.
Initially, all the accused were booked under the stringent Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Later, POTA charges were revoked by the Gujarat High Court following the recommendations of the Central POTA Review Committee. An appeal by the state government against the HC ruling is currently pending before the apex court.
Several other issues related to the case where questions of law were raised by prosecution or defence are pending either in the SC or the HC.
Now, the accused face criminal charges under the Indian Penal Code and Indian Railways Act.
The special court has been conducting the case trial inside the Sabarmati Central Jail amid tight security.
The trial began with the court framing charges against the accused in June 2009. During the trial, the court examined more than 250 prosecution witnesses. After the recording of the further statements of all the accused, the court had heard arguments of both the sides.
–Agencies–