Convicts’ sentences not enhanced

  • | Saturday | 21st April, 2018

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat high court on Friday turned down the state government’s plea to enhance the punishments of 30 convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patia massacre case. The advocate for the victims’ relatives, M M Tirmizi said, “Our demand for compensation has been rejected. In other cases, the SIT has sought death for the riot convicts.Meanwhile, the high court also rejected a request by the kin of victims of the violence, that the deaths be compensated. Compensation was sought under the provisions of Section 357 of the CrPC. No specific amount was mentioned by the victims’ kin.

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat high court on Friday turned down the state government’s plea to enhance the punishments of 30 convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patia massacre case. The HC acquitted 18 of them.Turning down the request, a bench of Justice H N Devani and Justice A S Supehia came down heavily on the government and observed, “The state government is paying mere lip service.”Castigating the government for its mechanical approach in the case, Justice Devani said that whenever the convicts in this case filed applications for temporary bail, the state government never opposed them and did not underscore before the high court that they were convicts in heinous crimes.In 2012, a special court had awarded 31-year jail term to eight convicts, 24-year terms to 22 persons, 28-year imprisonment to Maya Kodnani and imprisonment till his last breath for Babu Bajrangi . The state government urged the high court to enhance the punishment for 30 convicts, barring Kodnani and Bajrangi , to incarceration till they live.However, the state government did not grant permission to the SIT to seek greater punishment for Kodnani.This was the first case prosecuted by the SIT, in which the probe agency did not seek the death sentence for the convicts. In other cases, the SIT has sought death for the riot convicts.Meanwhile, the high court also rejected a request by the kin of victims of the violence, that the deaths be compensated. Compensation was sought under the provisions of Section 357 of the CrPC. No specific amount was mentioned by the victims’ kin. The advocate for the victims’ relatives, M M Tirmizi said, “Our demand for compensation has been rejected. We will know the reasons after we receive a copy of the order.”In October 2017, the HC ordered the state government to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the relative of each victim of the Godhra train burning case.

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