Council of Indian Muslims (UK)

Chairman of Council of Indian Muslims—UK (CIM) has deplored the death and life sentences awarded to 31 convicts of Godhra train burning case as, “most bizarre and ignoble judgement in Indian legal history.”

A special court trying 94 Muslims in the case had earlier acquitted 63 of them and held other 31 guilty; 11 of them were yesterday handed death sentences and 20 life imprisonment.

“We wish the judges had displayed similar courage and passed equally harsh sentences on those who kept 63 acquitted persons imprisoned for nine years where they were mercilessly tortured and humiliated and their lives and names have been completely ruined.” CIM’s Chairman Munaf Zeena said in a statement issued today.

“This must be the most bizarre and ignoble judgement in Indian legal history in which such harsh sentences have been passed on the basis of dubious evidences” Zeena added.

Sabarmati Express was set on fire nine years ago on 27 February 2002, killing 60 of the so called karsevaks (volunteers) of militant political Hindu party BJP returning from Ayodhya where a mob led by fascist Hindu leaders had demolished the historic Babri mosque on 6 December 1992.

The Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi capitalised on the tragedy, rushed to the crime scene, allowed public processions for the funeral of the victims triggering most savage anti-Muslim riots in the history of India in which more than 2000 Muslims were slaughtered, burnt alive, women were raped and properties of millions of pounds were looted and destroyed. The Chief Minister later unashamedly justified these crimes by saying, “every action has its reaction.”