Gulberg Society:Special court to announce quantum of punishment

Ahemdabad: The quantum of punishment in Gulberg Society massacre is expected to be announced, on Monday, by the special court.

The special court judge PB Desai had, on Thursday, convicted 24 and acquitted 36 others, in the 2002 Gulberg Society massacre, in Gujarat, in which 69 people were killed.

About the Gulberg massacre:

• A mob of nearly 20,000 people had attacked the Gulberg society on February 28, 2002.
• The mob attacked the society a day after the attack on Sabarmati Express train at Godhra that left 69 people dead.
• Society’s boundary walls and the houses were torched.
• Former Congress Member of Parliament, Ehsan Jafri, had been dragged out, hacked and burnt to death along with 68 others.
• The phone calls made to police during the attack went unanswered.

Highlights of the judgement:

• While 24 of the 66 people have been convicted for the society massacre, 11 have been found guilty of murder and 13 others for lesser crimes.
• The special court acquitted, Bipin Patel, Bhartiya Janata Party corporator from Asarva area, who was one of the key accused in the case.
• Atul Vaidya, a member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also been held as the key convict of the massacre.
• Police inspector K G Erda, who had lodged the first FIR in the case, too was later arraigned as an accused.
• Six other accused died during the trial and one is still absconding.