A court in India has sentenced 11 people to life in prison for their roles in a notorious massacre during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat.
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Earlier on June 2, the court had convicted 11 persons for murder and other offences, while 13 others, including VHP leader Atul Vaidya, were charged with lesser offences.
In August 2012, a court sentenced 31 people, including Maya Kodnani, an ex-minister and aide to the then chief minister Narendra Modi, to life for their part in murdering 97 people in Naroda Patiya, a suburb of Ahmedabad.
On the other hand activist Teesta Setalvad said that she welcomed the judgement, but was disappointed about the lesser sentence.
In April 2012, a court sentenced 18 people to life imprisonment for the murder of 23 Muslims in Ode village in Anand district.
The trial court had found 24 people guilty in the case involving the brutal massacre of 69 people on 28 February 2002, including former Congressman and Parliamentarian Ehsan Jafri.
Deceased Congress MP Ehsaan Jafri’s wife Zakia expressed disappointment with the verdict and asked why the seven people were given lenient sentences even when there was adequate proof against them.
The arguments on the quantum of sentence came to an end on June 10 with final submission by the prosecution.
Out of the 66 accused, six had died during the trial. They brutally killed Ehsan Jafri, and this is the quantum of sentence? Residents of the Gulberg Society situated in Chamanpura area of Ahemedabad was attacked by a mob and burnt down most of the houses.
Those awarded life imprisonment were: Kailash Dhobi, Yogendrasinh Shekhawat, Jayeshkumar Jingar, Jayesh Parmar, Krishnakumar Kalal, Raju Tiwari, Naran Tank, Lakhansinh Chudasma, Dinesh Sharma, Bharat Rajput and Bharat Shitalprasad. The incident took place near the Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002.
The violence was initially investigated by the Gujarat police and subsequently by an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court in 2008.
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On June 13, the court announced that it would pronounce the sentencing on June 17.
