Godhra train burning: SC grants bail to eight convicts
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed a plea for bail to eight convicts, undergoing life term in the 2002 Godhra train burning case, saying they had been in jail for about 17-18 years and the hearing on their appeal before it will take time.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, however, refused similar relief to four others, and awarded the death penalty, in the case.
Appearing for the Gujarat government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that he has some issues with the bail application of the four accused, because of their roles in the train burning case.
In February 2002, 59 people were killed in a fire incident in a train bogie, triggering riots in the state. The deceased passengers were returning from Ayodhya.
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, on behalf of the petitioners, suggested that the court could adjourn the hearing on the bail applications of the four convicts, whose bail was opposed by Mehta, and grant bail to other convicts.
He said the bail applications of the four convicts should be adjourned to two weeks.
Another senior counsel also urged the bench not to dismiss the bail plea of the four accused and adjourn the hearing on their bail applications.
Mehta, however, insisted that the court should dismiss the bail applications of the four convicts, saying the court may leave it open for them to revive these applications after a year or so.
The bench granted bail to eight convicts namely Abdul Sattar Ibrahim Gaddi Asla, Yunus Abdul Hakk Samol, Mohammad Hanif Abdulla Moulvi Badam, Abdul Rauf Abdul Majid Isa alias Dhesli, Ibrahim Abdulrazak Abdul Sattar
Samol alias Bhano, Ayub Abdul Gani Ismail Pataliya, Soheb Yusuf Ahmed Kalandar and Suleman Ahmad Hussain alias Tiger Peer Musalman.
"We direct that they be released on bail subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed by the sessions court,” the bench said.
Those whose plea for bail was rejected are Anwar Mohammad Mehda, Saukat Abdulla Moulvi Ismail Badam, Mehboob Yakub Mitha alias Popa and Siddik Mohammad Mora (Moraiya).
Earlier, the state government had opposed the plea, saying, “This is the rarest of rare cases where 59 people, including women and children, were burnt alive.”
On December 15, 2022, the Supreme Court granted bail to one of the accused in the 2002 Godhra train burning case on the ground that he was a mere stone pelter.