'Godhra train burning,': Supreme Court to start final hearing on pleas of Gujarat govt & convicts on May 6 & 7

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to commence the final hearing on May 6 and 7 on the appeals filed by the Gujarat government and several convicts against the Gujarat High Court's 2017 order in the 2002 Godhra train burning case.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal scheduled May 6 and 7 for starting the final hearing on the appeals filed by Gujarat government and some convicts in the case.

During the hearing, the court asked senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for one of the convicts, to file a revised compilation of his submissions containing “heading-wise” details on charges against the convict, the findings of the courts below and his arguments supported by materials on record to counter them by May 3.

The bench also asked lawyers for other convicts and the Gujarat government to file revised preliminary compilation on similar lines.

The Gujarat High Court had in 2017 in its order had upheld a total of 31 convictions in the case and commuted the death penalties of the 11 convicts to life term in the case.

Questioning the validity of the order, the Gujarat government approached the apex court seeking the award of the death penalty to the 11 convicts whose sentences in the case were commuted to life imprisonment by the HC.

Similarly, the convicts, who were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court, had moved the apex court seeking acquittal in the case.

In one of the earlier hearings, the court had asked the parties to translate the court records -- which are in Gujarati -- to English and digitise so that the records are accessible to all the concerned parties in the case. It has clarified that this would let understand the parties better and for a clarity.

The prosecution claimed the crime which took place on February 27, 2002, resulted in the brutal killing of 58 persons in a fire inside the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express, which was carrying kar sevaks (Hindu volunteers) from Ayodhya. The Godhra carnage triggered communal riots in Gujarat.