Gujarat High Court sentences 7 more accused of Viramgam riots with life terms

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court today sentenced life imprisonment to the seven accused of the killing of three members of minority community during violence in Viramgam area of Ahmedabad district a day after burning of a coach of the Sabarmati express in Godhara on February 27, 2002.

The High Court during the last hearing on June 28 had confirmed the conviction of two accused held guilty in the case by the lower court. It had also found seven others guilty of murder in the same case. Of them, three had been acquitted by the trial court, and the four others were held guilty of lesser offences.

This way a total of nine of the 10 accused have been sentenced with life terms in the case. One has been acquitted.

The case relates to the killing of three members from the minority community in near Valna railway crossing in Viramgam town on February 28, 2002, when a mob had turned violent following the Godhra train carnage. wo people were killed on the spot, and another succumbed to injuries at VS Hospital in Ahmedabad.

The division bench of Justice Harsha Devani and Justice Biren Vaishnav sentenced life terms to Satabhai Bharwad, Naranbhai Bharwad, Udaji Thakor, Valabhai Bharwad, ViththalBharwad, Mulabhai Bharwad and Merabhai Bharwad. The two others whose sentencing by the lower court was confirmed by the High Court are Bhopa Bharwad and Bachu Thakor.

The court on June 28 had ruled that four convicts held guilty of minor offences (attempt to murder, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurts with sharp weapons) by the trial court should be punished under IPC Section 302 (murder), to be read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly), among other charges. Three others acquitted by the trial court were also been found responsible for murder, among other charges. All the seven were sentenced with life term today.

DeshGujarat