NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed objections raised by some convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case, who argued that a two-judge bench could not hear their appeals since the matter involved death penalty.
Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing two convicts, cited the Red Fort terror attack case where a three-judge bench had heard the matter, to argue that a similar procedure should be followed in the Godhra case.
“Suppose this bench of two judges decides to award the death penalty to some accused, then it has to be re-argued before another bench of three judges,” Hegde submitted, citing a 2014 Constitution bench ruling that all death penalty cases confirmed by high courts must be heard by a three-judge SC bench.
However, a bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar rejected the plea, stating that the Gujarat High Court had not awarded or confirmed any death penalty but had instead commuted the trial court’s capital punishment to life imprisonment for 11 convicts.

“The Gujarat High Court commuted the death penalty of 11 convicts into life imprisonment and did not award the death penalty. Therefore, a two-judge bench can hear the case under the rules,” Justice Maheshwari said.
“The objection is repelled,” the bench ruled, as it began the final hearing on the appeals.
On April 24, the apex court had said it would begin the final hearing on May 6 and 7 on multiple appeals—filed by the Gujarat government challenging the commutation of death sentences, and by several convicts challenging the high court’s verdict upholding their convictions.
On February 27, 2002, 59 people died when coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire near Godhra, triggering statewide riots.
The Gujarat High Court in 2017 had upheld the convictions of 31 people and commuted the death penalties awarded to 11 of them by the trial court.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala.
| Photo Credit: K K Mustafah

The BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are spreading venom in the name of caste and religion, causing divisions in society, Ramesh Chennithala, who is the AICC representative responsible for Maharashtra, said during the party’s ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ yatra at Parbhani.

Mr. Chennithala said, “Rahul Gandhi raised his voice against the injustice done to Somanath Suryawanshi and Vijay Wakode. Three months later no action has been taken by the government against Suryawanshi’s murderers, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remains silent. Law and order does not exist in the State.”

Suryawanshi, who travelled to Parbhani from Pune for his law entrance examination, was allegedly picked up by the police there on December 11, 2024, after violence erupted that day over the desecration of a replica of the Constitution a day earlier. One of the 50 people Parbhani police arrested between December 11 and December 12, he died in judicial custody on December 15. Vijay Wakode, who was leading the protest, died following a heart attack amid the violence.

Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal said Mr. Gandhi’s firm stance on the caste census had forced the Modi government to concede. “The Maratha reservation issue can be resolved if a caste census is conducted. The present level of 27% reservation for OBCs may be increased to 65%. Meanwhile, while the BJP incites caste conflicts, it is crucial the Bahujan community stay united. Six farmers commit suicide every day in Maharashtra, the youth cannot find jobs, yet the government prioritises the interests of Adani and Ambani. The government is now needlessly focusing on the ₹88,000 crore Shaktipeeth Expressway.”

Uniting communities

Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that the Sadbhavna Yatra aims to bridge hearts and unite communities and fix the damage done by the BJP since 2014. The BJP has been sowing the seeds of casteism and communalism across the country. He lashed out at BJP State chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule for directing his workers to bring down the Congress. “BJP leaders are talking about breaking the Congress. BJP has a habit of breaking others’ houses. We will take revenge when our time comes.”

“If you want to build your own house, buy iron and cement with your own hard work and do not steal. This mentality is not a sign of democracy and healthy politics. Congress will not fall for such tactics, because it believes in the religion of humanity and love.”

Congress leader Chandrakant Handore said that the BJP, RSS, and Bajrang Dal are creating anarchy and are trying to divert public attention from pressing issues by fuelling caste and religious conflicts. “Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar gave us the world’s most sacred Constitution, granting equal rights to all, but BJP wants to replace it with the Manusmriti.”