On Saturday, 22nd July, Gujarat police arrested Godhra train burning case convict Qasim Abdul Sattar alias Qasim Biryani Gaji Ghanchi from Panchmahal district a year after he jumped parole. Sattar was serving a life sentence for his involvement in the Godhra train massacre in 2002. Last year, Sattar jumped parole and was absconding since then. Police received a tip-off that he was living in Limkheda taluka. The parole furlough squad of Panchmahal police raided the location and arrested him.
Sattar was handed over to the City B division police, from where he would be shifted to Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad to serve the rest of his sentence. Interestingly, this is the second time Sattar jumped parole. In 2021, he jumped parole but was arrested by the police. It is unclear on what grounds he was granted parole despite jumping it once before.
Godhra Train Massacre
On 27th February 2002, an Islamist mob set two coaches of the Sabarmati Express on fire in Godhra. 59 Hindu karsevaks, including children and women, were burnt alive in the incident. Following the train burning incident, communal riots broke out in Gujarat, leaving 1,200 persons dead and several thousand injured.
Sattar was part of the Islamist mob that attacked the train carrying the Hindu devotees. In March 2022, he was arrested and charged with sections pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, deterring public servant, and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Railway Act and Prevention of Damages to Public Properties Act.
In March 2011, 11 convicts were handed death sentences in the matter, and 20 were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court. Six years later, the death penalty for 11 convicts was commuted to life imprisonment by Gujarat High Court, while the court upheld life imprisonment for 20 others.
