Godhra riots: 11 convicted, 29 acquitted

AHMEDABAD: Eight persons were sentenced to life while three others were awarded three years imprisonment by a Godhra sessions court in the 2002 Eral massacre case that left seven people dead in the aftermath of the Godhra riots.

However, 29 people were acquitted in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge HM Dholakia awarded life sentence to eight people. Three of them were also convicted for having gangraped two minor girls.

Three others were convicted on charges of looting and violence and were sentenced to three years imprisonment.

The police had filed three chargesheets in the case on the complaint of Madinabibi Sheikh, who was also the key witness.

The massacre took place on March 3, 2002 when assailants targeted villages, including Eral in the interior of Panchmahal district in Central Gujarat following the Godhra riots.

Madinabibi's advocate Siraj Malik said that they were planning to appeal against the acquittal of 29 accused in the High Court.