Godhra train burning
The Godhra train burning occurred on the morning of 27 February 2002: 59 Hindu pilgrims and karsevaks returning from Ayodhya were killed in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express near the Godhra railway station in the Indian state of Gujarat. The cause of the fire remains disputed. The Gujarat riots, in which Muslims were the targets of widespread and severe violence, occurred shortly afterward.
| Godhra train burning | |
|---|---|
| Location | Godhra, Gujarat, India |
| Coordinates | 22°46′41″N 73°35′52″E |
| Date | 27 February 2002 7:43 a.m. |
| Target | Hindu Karsevaks returning from Ayodhya |
| Deaths | 59 |
| Injured | 48 |
The Nanavati-Mehta commission, appointed by the state government in the immediate aftermath of the event, concluded in 2008 that the burning was a pre-planned arson committed by a thousand-strong Muslim mob. The Banerjee commission, instituted by the Ministry of Railways, characterized the fire as an accident in 2006: however, the Gujarat High Court found its appointment to be unconstitutional and quashed all findings. An independent investigation by a non-governmental organization also supported the theory of the burning being an accident. Scholars remain skeptical about the claims of arson.
In February 2011, the trial court convicted 31 Muslims for the burning, relying extensively on the Nanavati-Mehta Commission report as evidence. In October 2017, the Gujarat High Court upheld the convictions.