Gulberg Society case in which 69 people including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri were killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, relatively, today special SIT court is likely to pronounce the quantum of sentence in the case. The 69 people were killed during the violence that took place in the predominantly-Muslim populated colony on February 28, 2002.

Last hearing was formed on June 6 led by SM Vora sought after capital Punishment for 11 murder accused. In his verdict 14 years after the massacre, special sessions court judge PB Desai convicted 24 people, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Atul Vaidya but rejected the charge of conspiracy.

The court also observed that the quantum of punishment for an accused who has jumped parole cannot be pronounced.

The prosecution has argued for life imprisonment, if not capital punishment, for all the accused, calling it a “rarest of the rare” case. It argued for equal punishment for all the 24 accused, as it was the case of mass murder.

Of the 24, the court adjudged 11 guilty of murder and 13 guilty of lesser crime. The court declared 36 of the 66 accused as not guilty for want of evidence and ordered their acquittal. Those convicted include Meghji Chaudhary, a former Congress councillor, who joined the BJP in 2014, and VHP leader Atul Vaidya. Both have been convicted for lesser offences and not murder.