The Supreme Court on January 28 granted bail to the 14 of the 17 people convicted and sentenced to life for participating in the 2002 post-Godhra massacre in which 33 Muslims were burnt alive in Sardarpura. The top court instructed all 14 people to do ‘spiritual and social service’.

Certain media organisations, however, reported that all 17 convicts have been granted bail.

The bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde divided the 14 convicts into two groups. One group will be sent to Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and the other will sent to Jabalpur.

Thirty-three members of a minority community were burnt alive at Sardarpura village in Vijapur tehsil of Mehsana district on the night of February 28, 2002, following the Godhra train carnage in which 59 people, mainly ‘karsevaks’ returning from Ayodhya, were killed.

The 33 dead including 22 women had taken shelter in a pucca house to escape the mob attack. They were holed up inside the house that was set afire by the mob using petrol.

The top court has said all the convicts will have to undertake community services for six hours in a week and they have to report to the local police station on a weekly basis.

It has instructed the District Legal Services Authorities at Indore and Jabalpur to ensure that the convicts follow the bail orders.

The Gujarat High Court had convicted 17 in the case.

At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the three-day violence in Gujarat in 2002.

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