The Supreme Court of India has scheduled the final hearing of the long-pending appeals in the 2002 Godhra train burning case for May 6 and May 7. The court made it clear that no other matters will be heard on these dates, allowing the bench to focus only on this sensitive and serious case.
The appeals were filed in 2018. Convicts have challenged their convictions, while the State of Gujarat has sought the death penalty for several of them. These appeals have faced repeated delays. The bench, comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Aravind Kumar, had earlier expressed displeasure about constant adjournments.
“The case was opened by Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde. He has filed a compilation which needs revision. He will revise and submit it by May 3,” the court recorded in its latest order.
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The court asked all lawyers involved to prepare their documents and be ready for a continuous hearing. A three-judge bench will hear the matter starting May 6, in line with legal requirements for death penalty cases.
“We request the Registry to list the matter for final hearing both on May 6 and 7. No other cases will be listed on these days,” the court directed.
The bench also noted that issues related to remission (release from jail) are not linked to this appeal, as the power lies with the state government.
The Godhra incident occurred on February 27, 2002, when 58 people, mostly Hindu volunteers returning from Ayodhya, were burnt alive in a fire on coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express. This tragic event triggered large-scale riots across Gujarat.
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In 2011, a special trial court convicted 31 people. 11 were sentenced to death, and 20 received life imprisonment. 63 others were acquitted. In 2017, the Gujarat High Court commuted all death sentences to life terms.
Since then, several convicts have applied for bail. One convict, Abdul Raheman Dhantiya, got interim bail in 2022 due to his wife’s terminal illness and the mental condition of his daughters. Another convict, Farook, was granted bail after serving 17 years, as he was only involved in stone-pelting. In April 2023, the Supreme Court granted bail to eight convicts and rejected bail for four others.
In August 2023, the Court rejected bail pleas of three other convicts, citing their specific roles in the incident.
“As per the Supreme Court Rules and previous judgment in Mohd. Arif @ Ashfaq vs. Supreme Court of India (2014), a three-judge bench is required for cases involving the death penalty,” argued Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde.
The hearing will now move forward, and the Supreme Court aims to conclude the matter with full attention over the two scheduled days.
Case Details: Abdul Raheman Dhantiya @ Kankatto @Jamburo vs State of Gujarat., Criminal Appeal 517/2018 and others.
