The Supreme Court on Tuesdaygranted bail to 14 convicts in one of the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. Theconvicts were granted bail on the condition that they will not enter the state.
A bench headed by Chief Justiceof India Sharad Arvind Bobde also ordered the convicts to undertake socialservice during the period of their bail. The court asked district legalauthorities in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, to ensure that the convicts do thesocial and spiritual work assigned to them.
The Supreme Court also tasked theMadhya Pradesh administration with finding the convicts work to earn alivelihood. The state legal services authority has been asked to file acompliance report and to report on their conduct.
The case relates to the massacreof 33 Muslims at Sardarpura village in February 2002, in the aftermath of theburning of a bogie of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra in which 59 people died.At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the riots that ensued.
