The Hindu : National : Gujarat seeks greater punishment for Godhra accused

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Gujarat seeks greater punishment for Godhra accused

Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has moved an appeal in the High Court demanding greater punishment for the guilty in the Godhra train carnage and re-trial of those acquitted by the special trail court.

The government demanded that 20 persons, whom the court had awarded life imprisonment, be sentenced to death, like the 11 others who had been awarded the same. The court, it claimed, had disregarded the evidences put forth by the prosecution implicating the 63 others who were acquitted for “want of evidence”. Among them was Moulana Umerji, initially the prime accused.

In April, the special trial court judge, P.R. Patel, had held the incident to be a “pre-planned conspiracy”. He had convicted 31 persons; sentencing 11 to death and 20 to life imprisonment, while acquitting the remaining 63.

Special public prosecutor in the case J.M. Panchal said the government demanded that the life imprisonment awarded to 20 accused should be converted to the death penalty and that the acquittal of the 63 others be reconsidered.

He said the appeal would now be placed before an appropriate Bench of the High Court.

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