The Supreme Court on Friday allowed bail to eight convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case while refusing the same relief to four others.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud weighed in factors like the eight convicts having already spent over 18 years in prison and that their appeals against conviction were not likely to be taken up for disposal at an early date.
The eight are Abdul Sattar Ibrahim Gaddi, Yunus Abdul Hakk Samol, Mohd. Hanif Abdulla Moulvi, Abdul Rauf, Ibrahim Abdulrazak, Ayub Abdul Gani, Soheb Yusuf, and Suleman Ahmad. All of them had been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and other cognate offences.
In the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for Gujarat, argued that the roles of the convicts were grievous.
“An iron pipe was recovered from one and a dhariya (sickle-like object) was found with another. A third convict had purchased and stored petrol used for setting the train ablaze. The fourth one looted the passengers,” Mr. Mehta submitted.
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, for the bail applicants, urged the court to separate the eight from the four others, and grant them bail.
“There is a festival tomorrow,” Mr. Hegde said, referring to the Eid ul-Fitr.
Senior advocate S. Nagamuthu, appearing for the four applicants, said there were much to argue in their favour.
Mr. Mehta appealed to the court to not provide them relief. “They can revive their applications after a year,” he said.
Denying them bail, the court disposed of the case. The four refused bail are Anwar Mihammad Mehda, Saukat Abdulla, Mehboob Yakub and Siddik Mohammad.
