Godhra train coach-burning case: SC seeks Gujarat govt.'s response on some convicts' bail pleas

The appeals against the conviction of several convicts are pending adjudication in the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Gujarat government's response on the bail pleas of some convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2002 Godhra train coach-burning case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the matter on behalf of the Gujarat government, that it was not "merely a stone-pelting" case as the convicts had bolted a bogey of the Sabarmati Express, leading to the death of several passengers on the train.

"Some are saying their role was just stone pelting. But when you lock a bogey from outside, light it on fire and then pelt stones, it is not just stone pelting," the top law officer told the bench, also comprising justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala.

"Alright, you examine this. We will list (the bail pleas) after two weeks," the bench told Mr. Mehta.

Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing in the court on behalf of some of the convicts, said the State government has filed appeals in the cases of certain convicts whose death penalty was commuted to life sentence by the Gujarat High Court.

The court then issued a notice to the State government on the bail pleas of Abdul Raheman Dhantia alias Kankatto, Abdul Sattar Ibrahim Gaddi Asla and others.