Supreme Court grants bail to convict in Godhra train coach burning case

PTI

New Delhi, December 15

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to a convict serving life imprisonment in the 2002 Godhra train coach burning case, noting that he had been in jail for the past 17 years.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha took note of the submission of a lawyer, appearing for one of the convicts, Faruk, that he be granted bail considering the jail term undergone till now.

The appeals against the conviction of several convicts are pending adjudication in the apex court.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Gujarat government, said it was “the most heinous offence” in which 59 people, including women and children, were burnt alive and there was a need to hear the appeals of the convicts at the earliest.

Faruk along with several others was convicted of pelting the coach of the Sabarmati Express with stones.

Mehta said usually stone-pelting is an offence of a minor nature. However, in the instant case, the train coach was bolted and it was pelted with stones to ensure that passengers could not come out; moreover, stones were also thrown at fire tenders, the law officer said.

On February 27, 2002, 59 people were killed when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra, triggering riots in the state.