Gulberg society massacre: Verdict out - Ahmedabad court convicts 24, acquits 36; Zakia Jafri to appeal against judgment

Ahmedabad: A special SIT court on Thursday pronounced its verdict in connection with a 2002 post-Godhra riots case of Gulberg society massacre.

Of 66 accused, 36 have been acquitted. Also, 24 have been convicted in the case. 

Eleven persons have been convicted for murder. 

Noteworthy, BJP corporator Bipin Patel too has been acquitted by the court.

Quantum of punishment to be out on June 6.

Former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri's widow Zakia has said that it's sad that 36 have been let off.

"Complete justice has not been done; I will continue to fight," Zakia Jafri added.

"We will appeal against the verdict in higher courts," Zakia Jafri said.

In Gulberg society massacre, 69 persons including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri were killed.

Special Court Judge PB Desai delivered the judgement over eight months after the trial concluded on September 22, 2015.

There are 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, of which nine are behind bars since 14 years, while others are out on bail.

The Gulberg society case is one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court appointed SIT.

The incident had taken place a day after S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt near Godhra train station, where in 58 'karsevaks' were killed.

The defence had refuted the conspiracy theory of prosecution and claimed that the mob resorted to violence only after slain Congress MP Eshan Jafri fired several rounds on them.