Liberal democrats, human rights activists and even right-wing radicals are pondering the verdict in the post-Godhra cases and wondering whether or not it will be as severe as the Godhra verdict.

A special court on Tuesday awarded the death sentence to 11 of 31 persons convicted for the 2002 Godhra train carnage, leading to the death of 59 kar sevaks travelling in Coach S-6 of Sabarmati Express, while the remaining 20 were given life imprisonment.

The Special trial court in Godhra train burning case here on Tuesday awarded death sentence to 11 accused and life imprisonment to 20 others. The special trial court termed the case as “rarest of the rare” stressing that it deserved nothing less than death sentence.

Nine years after the Godhra train carnage led to the deaths of 59 kar sevaks, triggering anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in which thousands were killed, a special court here held 31 persons guilty of conspiracy over the train burning. Sixty-three others, including prime accused Maulvi Hussain Umarji, were acquitted by special judge P.R. Patel for lack of adequate evidence. The sentencing of the 31 convicts will be done on Friday.

Among the 63 people acquitted in the Godhra verdict on Monday, there is Maulvi Umarji who was arrested as the kingpin and main conspirator of the Godhra train carnage. The SIT had also dubbed him the main conspirator.

All eyes are set on Gujarat and security has been tightened up as the nation awaits the Godhra train carnage verdict to be pronounced here on Tuesday.
Ahead of Godhra train carnage verdict to be pronounced by a special trial court, set up in the high security Sabarmati central jail, the Gujarat police has strengthened security cover in the state in order to ensure that the law and order situation is maintained in the wake of judgment.

A special fast track court here on Tuesday convicted 31 people and acquitted 63 in the Godhra train carnage case in which 59 people on board the Sabarmati Express were burnt to death, triggering communal frenzy in Gujarat in 2002.

After Sohrabuddin Sheikh, Tulsi Prajapati and Ishrat Jahan, the Gujarat police is now facing another alleged fake encounter case — that of Sadiq Jamal Mehtar, who was gunned down by an Ahmedabad police team led by now jailed IPS D.G. Vanjara, a prime accused in all the fake encounter cases and currently in Sabarmati Central Jail.

Indicted by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT for failing to contain riots in the state in 2002, the Gujarat government has issued a showcause notice to IPS officer Rahul Sharma, who had provided detail

A Gujarat-cadre police officer who is a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed to probe the encounter killing of Mumbai college-girl Ishrat Jahan has said in an affidavit filed before a division bench of the Gujarat high court that all early evidence in the case points to the 19-year-old girl and her three friends being shot dead in a fake encounter.