Godhra train burning: India’s Supreme Court grants bail to 8 life convicts.

In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India granted bail to eight life convicts in the Godhra train burning case on Thursday. The decision was taken by a three-judge bench comprising of Justice UU Lalit, Justice Ajay Rastogi, and Justice Hemant Gupta. The bench observed that the convicts had been in jail for more than 20 years and it was time to consider their bail applications.

The Godhra train burning case dates back to February 27, 2002, when a coach of the Sabarmati Express train was set on fire by a mob in Godhra, Gujarat, resulting in the death of 59 people. The incident triggered widespread communal violence in the state, leading to the death of more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims.

A total of 31 people were convicted by a special court in 2011, and 11 of them were awarded the death penalty, while the rest were given life imprisonment. The convicts had filed bail applications in the Supreme Court after their appeals against the lower court’s verdict were rejected by the Gujarat High Court.

The Supreme Court bench, while granting bail to the eight convicts, set some conditions for their release. The convicts will have to furnish personal bonds of Rs 1 lakh each, and they will not be allowed to enter Gujarat until the trial in the case is completed. The bench also directed the convicts to cooperate with the trial court and not to influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidence.

The decision has been welcomed by the families of the convicts, who have been waiting for their release for a long time. The convicts have been in jail for more than 20 years, and their families have been struggling to make ends meet. The decision will bring some relief to them, and they can now hope to reunite with their loved ones.

The decision has also been criticized by some quarters, who argue that the convicts should not be released as they were involved in a heinous crime. However, the Supreme Court bench observed that the convicts had already served a considerable portion of their sentence, and it was time to consider their bail applications.

The Godhra train burning case remains a sensitive issue in India, and the decision to grant bail to the convicts is likely to generate mixed reactions. However, the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to the convicts is a significant development, and it will have far-reaching implications on similar cases in the future.

By : Muskan kumari, BBA LL.B. from THE ICFAI UNIVERSITY,RANCHI, JHARKHAND

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