The Gujarat high court administration (GHC) has appointed Thakkar, additional sessions judge of Godhra district court, as the designated judge for the trial in the Sabarmati Express train carnage case.
The Gujarat high court administration (GHC) has appointed CR Thakkar, additional sessions judge of Godhra district court, as the designated judge for the trial in the Sabarmati Express train carnage case.
The development came after, PR Patel, who concluded the trial in the case in March this year, was transferred as registrar (recruitment) in the GHC.
Patel, earlier in his verdict, had sent 11 of the accused in the case to the gallows. Twenty of the accused were given life imprisonment.
The trial against 15 accused in the case is still pending as they are absconding. One accused Ismail Yusuf Chunga was arrested by the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT)on March 5. The issue of new appointment surfaced after Chunga moved a bail plea before the local judge in Godhra court.
However, the incumbent judge refused to hear the case stating that as per the Supreme Court verdict there needs to be a special judge to hear the case.
“The court had directed us to approach the high court over the appointment of a special judge as the earlier judge PR Patel was transferred,” said JM Panchal, special prosecutor of the Godhra case.
“Now that a judge has been appointed, the bail plea of Chunga is posted for hearing on June 18,” said Panchal GHC sources confirmed that, CR Thakkar has been appointed as the special judge for the case. Chunga was alleged to be among those accused who had set the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express on fire.
Fifty nine Karsevaks, on their way from Ayodhaya, were charred to death by angry mob at the Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002.
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