Gujarat govt opposes Godhara train coach-burning convicts’ bail pleas

The Gujarat government denied bail to some convicts sentenced to life in prison on Monday, reiterating that the 2002 Godhra train coach-burning case involved serious offenses because the convicts pelted stones and bolted the train door, killing 58 people.

The court was hearing bail requests from some of the convicts sentenced to life in prison in the Godhra train coach-burning case in 2002. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that it was not a case of stone pelting, but that the accused had bolted the train door from outside and then pelted stones.

However, the lawyers for the convicts claimed that they had served 17 years in prison.
On Friday, a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud scheduled a hearing on the matter. The court also stated that it is considering not granting bail to those who were sentenced to death.

During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court requested a chart detailing the specific roles of the convicts, their ages, and the time span in which they were involved in the 2002 Godhra train coach-burning case.

The court asked the advocates on record for the petitioner and state counsel to sit together and prepare one consolidated chart for the bench’s convenience.