The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to eight convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case. However, the bail application of the four other convicts was turned down in view of their role.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of D.Y. Chandrachud granted bail to the eight convicts on the grounds that they have spent over 17 years in jail.
"We direct that they be released on bail subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed by session by the sessions court," the bench said.
On February 20 this year while deciding on the bail applications moved by them the Court had sought details of the convicts.
The eight convicts were serving life imprisonment and their sentences were upheld by the High Court order.
Earlier, the top court had denied the bail application of accused persons who were awarded death sentence by the trial Court. Even the Gujarat government had opposed a batch of petitions seeking bail in the Supreme Court in the 2002 Godhra train burning case.
What's the Godhra train incident?
The Godhra train incident that took place on February 27, 2002 had fuelled communal riots in Gujarat. 59 people lost their lives in a fire inside the S-6 coach of Sabarmati express, which was carrying kar sevaks from Ayodhya.
In March 2011, the trial court convicted 31 persons of which 11 were sentenced to death and the remaining was awarded life imprisonment.
On Thursday, a Ahmadabad court has acquitted all accused in the Naroda Gam case that claimed lives of 11 Muslim community memebers.
With the verdict in the case, the Supreme Court has appointed a Special Investigation team to monitor the status of the other 2002 post-Godhra riots case.
