The public prosecutor opined that the court seemed to be under 'psychological' pressure from national and international human rights organisations while rejecting their demand for death sentence.
Disappointed over the court not awarding capital punishment in the 2002 Ode riot case, the public prosecutor on Thursday opined that the court seemed to be under 'psychological' pressure from national and international human rights organisations while rejecting their demand for death sentence.
"We had sought capital punishment in this case, but the court did not accept it. I believe it was because these days many national and international human rights organisations and NGOs are propagating for abolition of death penalty," Public Prosecutor PN Parmar told mediapersons after the verdict was delivered.
Twenty three persons including nine women, nine children and five men were burnt to death in a house in Ode village of the district on March 1, 2002, during the post-Godhra riots.
"This could be the psychological reason due to which the court might not have given death sentence. Moreover, scarce execution in cases of death sentence may also have played a role in court rejecting our demand of capital punishment in this case," he said.
"We will study the order of the court and then decide on the future course of action whether to appeal for capital punishment in the higher forums and also decide to appeal against the acquittal of 23 others," Parmar added.
The court however, in its order has concluded that the accused cannot be sentenced to capital punishment as they had no criminal history.
Special trial court of Judge Poonam Singh today sentenced 18 people to life imprisonment on charges of murder, while awarding five other accused seven years in prison for attempt to murder.
All of them have also been convicted for criminal conspiracy, rioting, arson, unlawful assembly, destruction of evidence and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
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