2002 Godhra train burning case: Supreme Court grants bail to 8 life convicts

The top court refused to consider bail application of other four other convicts in view of their role. A bench headed by Chief Justice of DY Chandrachud granted bail to the eight convicts. These eight people were those who were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and their sentences were upheld by the trial court order.

The Supreme Court on Friday (April 21) granted bail to eight convicts in the 2002 Godhra train coach-burning case. The top court reminded Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that it made it clear the last time that no further adjournments would be granted.

However, the top court refused to consider bail application of other four other convicts in view of their role. A bench headed by Chief Justice of DY Chandrachud granted bail to the eight convicts.

These eight people were those who were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment and their sentences were upheld by the trial court order.

The top court has earlier denied the bail application of those accused persons whose death sentence awarded by the trial Court was commuted to life imprisonment by the Gujarat High Court.

On Thursday, a special court in Gujarat acquitted all the 67 accused, including former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Maya Kodnani, in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case in which 11 people were killed.

The Ahmedabad-based court of SK Baxi, special judge for SIT cases, acquitted all the accused in one of the major post-Godhra riots cases which was probed by a Supreme-Court appointed Special Investigation Team.

Those acquitted include Kodnani, former VHP leader Jaydeep Patel and ex-Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi. There was a total of 86 accused in the case, of which 18 died during pendency of the trial, while one was discharged earlier by the court.