Godhra riots: Gujarat HC gives verdict on Ode massacre
A division bench of the Gujarat High Court acquitted three and reinforced the verdict handed by a special court to 19 others in the Ode massacre case where 23 Muslims were burnt alive during the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002. The Gujarat HC also confirmed the acquittal of 23 of the 47 accused. Here's more on the verdict.
What is the Ode massacre?
On 1st March, 2002, two days after the Sabarmati train carnage at the Godhra railway station where 58 kar sevaks (religious volunteers) were killed, communal riots resulted in 23 Muslims being burnt alive in the town of Ode in Gujarat's Anand district.
Convicts, SIT move Gujarat HC following special court verdict
A special trial court in 2012 held 23 of the accused guilty, and sentenced 18 of them to life imprisonment. The remaining five were sentenced to seven years imprisonment. Following this verdict, the convicts moved the Gujarat High Court challenging the judgement. Not to be outdone, the special investigation team in charge also moved the High Court, seeking capital punishment for those found guilty.
The Ode massacre is one of nine major riot cases
The Ode massacre is one of the nine major riot cases from the 2002 Gujarat riots which were handed over to Supreme Court-appointed special investigation teams (SIT) for further investigation.
