Today in Ahmedabad special SIT court to pronounce the quantum of sentence which convicted 24 accused in the 2002 post Godhra Gulbarg society carnage case. SIT has deferred hearing in the case to June 9. The prosecution is likely to seek capital punishment for the 11 convicted who were charged with murder, while the lawyer of victims may seek life imprisonment for them. On June 2, Special Court Judge P.B. Desai convicted 24 of the 66 accused, including a VHP leader, in the Gulbarg society carnage, which left 69 people including ex Congress MP Eshan Jafri dead. Out of the total 66 accused, six died during the trial. Of 24 convicted, 11 have been charged with murder, while 13 others, including VHP leader Atul Vaidya, have been convicted for lesser offences. While pronouncing the judgment, the court had said there was no evidence of criminal conspiracy in the case and dropped charges under IPC section 120-B. Those acquitted include sitting BJP corporator Bipin Patel, the then police inspector of the area under which the Gulbarg Society was located, K G Erda, and ex Congress corporator Meghsinh Chaudhari.
