Hearing in Gulberg case sentencing today
Ahmedabad:June 10, 2016, DHNS
The hearing by special court in Ahmedabad on the quantum of punishment to the 24 convicts in the Gulberg Society massacre was adjourned to Friday.
As many as 69 people, including former MP Ehsan Jafri, were killed on February 28, 2002, a day after burning of a coach of Sabarmati Express in Godhra in which 58 karsevaks were killed.
Adjourning the hearing on Thursday, the court of Special Judge P B Desai also ordered that the convicts who were being brought in personally to the court for sentencing every
day, need not be physically present on Friday. If need arose, they could be produced through video conferencing from the Sabarmati jail where they are currently lodged, he said.
The special court had on June 2, convicted 11 accused for murder under Section 302 of the IPC and 13 others under other charges, even as 36 of the 60 accused were declared “not guilty”. The court has also rejected the conspiracy charges by the prosecution in the case.
Meanwhile, the prosecution during the course of its arguments on Thursday continued to seek maximum punishment for the accused, even as the defense counsel argued that the accused should not be given capital punishment.
The defense cited a Supreme Court judgment and argued that the accused had never in the past during bail tried to tamper with the evidence and that they should be given chance to mend ways.
The defense lawyer also raised the topic of firing by Late Jafri on the fateful day, in which one person was killed and several others injured. He claimed that Jafri was the sole culprit responsible for the unfortunate incident and that it was his firing that provoked the crowd and the court must take into account the event while deciding the quantum of punishment.
DH News Service
As many as 69 people, including former MP Ehsan Jafri, were killed on February 28, 2002, a day after burning of a coach of Sabarmati Express in Godhra in which 58 karsevaks were killed.
Adjourning the hearing on Thursday, the court of Special Judge P B Desai also ordered that the convicts who were being brought in personally to the court for sentencing every
day, need not be physically present on Friday. If need arose, they could be produced through video conferencing from the Sabarmati jail where they are currently lodged, he said.
The special court had on June 2, convicted 11 accused for murder under Section 302 of the IPC and 13 others under other charges, even as 36 of the 60 accused were declared “not guilty”. The court has also rejected the conspiracy charges by the prosecution in the case.
Meanwhile, the prosecution during the course of its arguments on Thursday continued to seek maximum punishment for the accused, even as the defense counsel argued that the accused should not be given capital punishment.
The defense cited a Supreme Court judgment and argued that the accused had never in the past during bail tried to tamper with the evidence and that they should be given chance to mend ways.
The defense lawyer also raised the topic of firing by Late Jafri on the fateful day, in which one person was killed and several others injured. He claimed that Jafri was the sole culprit responsible for the unfortunate incident and that it was his firing that provoked the crowd and the court must take into account the event while deciding the quantum of punishment.
DH News Service
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