One more time the special sessions court Judge PB Desai in Ahmedabad differed pronouncement on the quantum of punishment for the 24 convicts of sensational Gulberg Society massacre case. The special court is expected to pronounce sentence on June 13.
The judge on Friday asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to produce the jail records of all convicts by Monday. It means only after the submission of records, the court will pronounce quantum of punishment in the case. The court ordered for submission of records only after the defence lawyers sought an opportunity to reform to the convicts by citing their clean record when in jail as well as during the bail period besides that they have had no criminal background before and after massacre. Defence lawyer Abhay Bhardwaj argued that even terrorists were given opportunity for reform in the past. He further said that why shouldn’t similar criterion not apply in this case especially when the convicts were not involved in any crime.
During earlier arguments the defence lawyer said in the court that the mob that attacked the Gulberg Society was provoked by firing by former MP Ehsan Jafri, the prosecution and the advocate for the victims and survivors forcefully argued that a menacing mob of over 10,000 people had gathered outside the housing society with a well-decided plan to kill innocent people. The massacre occurred on February 28, 2002, a day after infamous train burning incident near Godhra railway station in which 59 Hindus were killed by Muslims. In the Gulberg society incident 69 people were killed including Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri. 14 years after it, the court had held 24 of the total 66 accused guilty on June 2 while acquitted the remaining 36. Six had died during the trial.