Godhra: Court likely to pronounce sentences tomorrow

Ahmedabad, Feb 24 (PTI) The special court here is likelyto pronounce the quantum of punishment for the 31 convicts inthe 2002 Godhra train burning case tomorrow.

As many as 59 people were killed in the incident and itsparked off large-scale communal violence in Gujarat.

Judge P R Patel, who conducted the trial inside theSabarmati Central Jail premises, would pronounce the quantumof punishment after hearing the 31 accused who have been foundguilty of criminal conspiracy and murder, among other charges.

The Court, on February 22, convicted 31 and acquitted 63others, including the prime conspirator Maulvi Hussain Umarji.

The court accepted the prosecution''s contention thatthere was a conspiracy behind the incident.

Apart from the charges of murder, attempt to murder andcriminal conspiracy, the accused were convicted under IPCsections 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325, 326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity betweendifferent groups on religious grounds), various sections ofthe Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damage to PublicProperty Act and Bombay Police Act.