Post-Godhra riot: 21 accused get life term, 61 acquitted

While holding none guilty for killing 11 people, including five children in the Dipda Darwaza  riot case of 2002 post-Godhra train burning incident, a special court in Mehsana on Monday sentenced 21 riot accused to life imprisonment for rioting  and attempt to murder.

The designated judge S C Srivastav acquitted 61 of the 83 accused in the case, which included former BJP MLA Prahlad Gosa and Visnagar municipality president Dahyabhai Patel

While convicting 22, the judge ordered that 21 were guilty of attempt to murder while police inspector M K Patel was guilty of dereliction of duty and sentenced him to a year’s imprisonment. He is the first police officer to be convicted for the 2002 riots.

All 21 found guilty of attempt to murder were sentenced under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); none was convicted for murder under Section 302.  Reacting to the judgement, main witness Yusuf Pathan told  Deccan Herald: “It is a mixed feeling as those found guilty have been sentenced to life but not charged with murder.’’
He said that they were also disturbed by the large number of acquittals and would appeal to the higher courts.