View source for Godhra train burning

{{Short description|2002 train arson attack in Gujarat, India}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Godhra train burning
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| location = [[Godhra]], [[Gujarat]], India
| target = [[Hindu]] [[Karsevaks]] returning from [[Ayodhya]]
| coordinates = {{coord|22|46|41|N|73|35|52|E|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| date = 27 February 2002
| time = 7:43&nbsp;a.m.
| fatalities = 59
| injuries = 48}}
The '''Godhra train burning''' occurred on the morning of 27 February 2002, when 59 [[Hindus|Hindu]] pilgrims and ''[[karsevaks]]'' (religious volunteers) returning from [[Ayodhya]] were killed in a fire inside the [[Sabarmati Express]] near the [[Godhra]] railway station in [[Gujarat]], India.<ref name="BBC 2011">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12605659 |work=BBC News |title=Eleven sentenced to death for India Godhra train blaze |date=1 March 2011 |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=24 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624025021/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12605659 |url-status=live }}</ref> The cause of the fire remains disputed.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Metcalf |first=Barbara D. |url=http://apnaorg.com/books/english/concise-history-india/concise-history-india.pdf |title=A Concise History of India |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-1107026490 |pages=299–300 |access-date=30 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429225106/http://apnaorg.com/books/english/concise-history-india/concise-history-india.pdf |archive-date=29 April 2020 |url-status=live}}: "The cause of the initial fire has not been determined, but it was almost certainly not deliberately set by Muslims on the station platform, as Hindus frequently alleged."</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Ghassem-Fachandi |first=Parvis |title=Pogrom in Gujarat: Hindu Nationalism and Anti-Muslim Violence in India |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-691-15176-2 |pages=31–33, 93–100 |quote=There are competing versions as to how exactly the fire started in the train bogies. While the Nanavati commission of inquiry (NCI), instated soon after the Gujarat pogrom and completed in 2008, declared that the fire in the train bogies was a premeditated act by Muslim conspirators, the Banerjee commission, instated in 2004, questioned the theory of premeditation and called the incident an accident. The Gujarat High Court ruled the latter commission illegal in 2006. Both commissions of inquiry are regularly derided as "politically motivated" by respective opposing political constituencies. Uncertainties surrounding the incident remain.}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |title=Modi's India: Hindu nationalism and the rise of ethnic democracy |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2021 |isbn=9780691206806 |pages=39, 476 |language=en |quote=Hundreds of Muslims then allegedly attacked with stones and torches, particularly the two wagons where the fifty-nine victims were found. The facts must be stated with caution here, because expert reports and counter reports have continued to contradict each other ever since [..] The idea that the attack was "pre-planned" has never been substantiated by the slightest piece of evidence.}}</ref> The [[2002 Gujarat riots|Gujarat riots]], during which [[Violence against Muslims in India|Muslims were the targets]] of widespread and severe violence, took place shortly afterward.<ref name=":1" />
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 act of arson committed by a thousand-strong Muslim mob.<ref name="NDTV 2011" /> In contrast, the Banerjee Commission, a one-member panel instituted in 2004 by then Rail Minister [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] of the [[Ministry of Railways (India)|Ministry of Railways]], characterized the fire as an accident in its 2006 report.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 March 2006|title=Godhra train fire accidental: Banerjee report |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/godhra-train-fire-accidental-banerjee-report/articleshow/1437742.cms |access-date=2023年01月26日 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> However, the Gujarat High Court later ruled that the commission's appointment was unconstitutional and quashed all its findings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006年10月14日 |title=HC terms Sabarmati Express panel illegal |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/hc-terms-sabarmati-express-panel-illegal/180656/ |access-date=2023年01月26日 |website=The Financial Express |language=en-US}}</ref> An independent investigation by a non-governmental organization also supported the theory that the fire was accidental.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2005年02月10日 |title=More light on Godhra fire |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30203493.ece |access-date=2023年01月26日 |website=frontline.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref> Scholars remain skeptical about the claims of arson.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Narula |first=Smita |title=Hinduism and Law: An Introduction |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-521-88786-1 |editor-last=Lubin |editor-first=Timothy |pages=247 |chapter=Law and Hindu nationalist movements |quote=Because the fire was immediately preceded by a skirmish between the Hindu passengers and Muslims at the train station, the police – despite a lack of hard evidence – proceeded on the assumption that the fire was the result of a Muslim conspiracy. |editor-last2=Davis, Jr. |editor-first2=Donald R. |editor-last3=Krishnan |editor-first3=Jayanth K.}}</ref>
In February 2011, the trial court convicted 31 Muslims for the train burning, relying heavily on the Nanavati-Mehta Commission report as evidence.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011年03月24日 |title=Guilty verdict |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30174816.ece |access-date=2023年01月26日 |website=frontline.thehindu.com |language=en}}</ref> In October 2017, the Gujarat High Court upheld the convictions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.livelaw.in/godhra-train-carnage-gujarat-hc-commutes-death-penalty-11-convicts-awards-10-lakh-compensation-victims-kin-read-judgment/|title=Godhra Train Carnage: Gujarat HC Commutes Death Penalty Of 11 Convicts; Awards 10 Lakh Compensation To Victims' Kin|first=Apoorva|last=Mandhani|date=11 October 2017|access-date=1 June 2018}}</ref>
==27 February 2002 incident==
[[File:Godhra jn railway station.JPG|thumb|The platform at Godhra Junction. The incident took place a short distance away.]]
In February 2002, thousands of devotees of [[Rama]] (known as "Ramsevaks" or "[[Kar Sevak]]s") traveled from [[Gujarat]] to [[Ayodhya]] at the behest of the [[Vishva Hindu Parishad]] to participate in a ceremony called the Purnahuti Maha Yagna. On 25 February, 1,700 people, a mix of pilgrims and karsevaks, boarded the [[Sabarmati Express]], which was bound for [[Ahmedabad]].<ref name=rediff1>{{cite news|title=Fifty-eight killed in attack on Sabarmati Express|url=http://www.rediff.co.in/news/2002/feb/27train2.htm|access-date=11 May 2013|newspaper=Rediff|date=27 February 2002|archive-date=30 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430062428/http://www.rediff.co.in/news/2002/feb/27train2.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 27 February 2002, the train made a scheduled stop at Godhra around four hours late, at 7:43&nbsp;am. As the train began to leave the platform, someone pulled the [[Emergency brake (train)|emergency brake]], causing it to stop near the signal point. The train driver later stated that the brake chain had been pulled multiple times, as indicated by the instruments in his cabin.<ref name=driver>{{cite news|title=Sabarmati Express drivers appear before panel |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Sabarmati-Express-drivers-appear-before-panel/articleshow/16403277.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203051951/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-07-19/ahmedabad/27297556_1_assistant-driver-mukesh-pachauri-train|url-status=live|archive-date=3 December 2013|access-date=30 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=16 July 2002}}</ref>
According to one narrative, the train was attacked by a mob of around 2,000 people. After some stone-pelting, four train coaches were set on fire, trapping many people inside. Fifty-nine people, including 27 women and 10 children, were burned to death, while 48 others were injured.<ref>{{cite news|title=What is the 2002 Godhra train burning case?|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-godhra-case-gujarat-riots-sabarmati-express-narendra-modi-4881537/|website=The Indian Express|date=9 October 2017|access-date=9 January 2024}}</ref> J. Mahapatra, the [[Additional Director General of Police|Additional Director General]] of [[Gujarat]] Police, stated that "miscreants had kept petrol-soaked rags ready for use much before the train had arrived at [[Godhra]]."<ref>{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Onkar |title=No women kidnapped in Godhra: Police |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/mar/06train1.htm |access-date=6 April 2014 |newspaper=Rediff |date=7 March 2002}}</ref> In September 2008, the [[Nanavati-Mehta Commission]] submitted the first part of its report, which concluded that the burning of the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express near [[Godhra]] railway station was a "planned conspiracy."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat/nanavati-commission-submits-final-report-on-2002-gujarat-riots/?SocialMedia | title=2002 Gujarat riots: Nanavati Commission submits final report to Anandiben Patel | date=18 November 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nanavati-panels-final-report-in-July/articleshow/35740740.cms | title=Nanavati panel's final report in July &#124; India News – Times of India | website=[[The Times of India]] | date=30 May 2014 }}</ref>
The cause of the fire remains disputed.<ref name=":0" /> In 2003, the Concerned Citizens Tribunal concluded that the fire had been an accident.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Genocide in Gujarat: Patterns of violence |url=http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/journals-magazines/article2/focus-the-international-criminal-court/genocide-in-gujarat-patterns-of-violence/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227053831/http://www.humanrights.asia/resources/journals-magazines/article2/0201/genocide-in-gujarat-patterns-of-violence/ |archive-date=27 February 2021 |access-date=2022年08月31日 |website=Asian Human Rights Commission |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Godhra |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/godhra/218036 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805184558/https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/godhra/218036/amp |archive-date=5 August 2022 |access-date=2022年08月31日 |website=Outlook India|date=3 February 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Crime Against Humanity |url=https://www.sabrang.com/tribunal/tribunal2.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101165159/https://www.sabrang.com/tribunal/tribunal2.pdf |archive-date=1 January 2022 |access-date=2022年08月31日}}</ref>
Several independent commentators also concluded that the fire was almost certainly an accident, noting that the initial cause of the blaze was never conclusively determined.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Metcalf |first1=Barbara D. |url= |title=A Concise History of Modern India |last2=Metcalf |first2=Thomas R. |date=2012年09月24日 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-02649-0 |pages=280 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Clark-Decès |first=Isabelle |url= |title=A Companion to the Anthropology of India |date=2011年02月28日 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-4051-9892-9 |pages=245 |language=en}}</ref> Historian [[Ainslie Thomas Embree]] stated that the official account of the train attack—that it was organized and carried out by people under orders from Pakistan—was entirely baseless.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Seiple |first1=Chris |url= |title=The Routledge Handbook of Religion and Security |last2=Hoover |first2=Dennis |last3=Otis |first3=Pauletta |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-66744-9 |pages=233 |language=en}}</ref> Scholar [[Martha Nussbaum]] similarly challenged this narrative, stating that several inquiries found the fire to be the result of an accident rather than a planned conspiracy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nussbaum |first=Martha C. |url= |title=The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India's Future |date=2008 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-03059-6 |pages=17–19 |language=en}}</ref>
Forewarning of the violent incident was also noted. Additional director general of police G. C. Raigar had informed prior to the Godhra train burning that the [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) activists could instigate communal violence. He was removed from his post after he provided evidence to the media outlets to show that the state could be compromised by VHP activists who were arriving to and from Ayodhya.<ref name="v626">{{cite web |title= Massacres In Godhra And Ahmedabad |website= [[Outlook (Indian magazine)]] |date=2002年05月01日 |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/massacres-in-godhra-and-ahmedabad-news-215419 |access-date=2025年10月30日 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250406105329/https://www.outlookindia.com/national/massacres-in-godhra-and-ahmedabad-news-215419 |archive-date= 2025年04月06日 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="m020">{{cite web |title= VI. The Godhra Investigation |website= [[Human Rights Watch]] |date= 2002年02月27日 |url= https://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/india0703/Gujarat-05.htm |access-date= 2025年10月30日 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081020143353/https://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/india0703/Gujarat-05.htm |archive-date= 2008年10月20日 |url-status= live}}</ref>
==Inquiries==
===Forensic Science Laboratory report===
A study conducted by the Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory concluded that the fire was caused by inflammable liquid poured into the coach by the attackers.{{cn|date=April 2025}} Additionally, the report indicated that the fire started from inside the coach, which explains the minimal scorching on the exterior below the windows.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/states/story/20020722-godhra-massacre-forensic-report-come-in-handy-for-rival-politicians-794762-2002年07月21日|title=Fuelling the Fire|publisher=indiatoday.intoday.in|date=22 July 2002|access-date=13 April 2014|archive-date=9 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209201118/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/godhra-massacre-forensic-report-come-in-handy-for-rival-politicians/1/219241.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=FSLReport>{{cite web|title=Report of Forensic Science Laboratory, State of Gujarat|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?218028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601160801/http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?218028|archive-date=1 June 2013|publisher=Outlook|date=22 November 2002|access-date=19 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Nanavati-Mehta commission===
{{Main|Nanavati-Mehta Commission}}
====Appointment====
On 6 March 2002, the Gujarat government established a commission of inquiry to investigate the incident and submit a report. The commission was initially chaired by retired [[Gujarat High Court]] judge K.G. Shah as its sole member.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/03/07/stories/2002030706110100.htm |title=The Hindu : Probe panel appointed |publisher=Hinduonnet.com |date=7 March 2002 |access-date=4 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210180012/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/03/07/stories/2002030706110100.htm |archive-date=10 February 2003 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> However, Shah's alleged closeness to Narendra Modi drew sharp criticism from victims, human rights organizations, and political parties, leading to demands for the appointment of a [[Supreme Court of India|Supreme Court]] judge. In response, the government reconstituted the commission as a two-member committee, appointing retired Supreme Court judge [[G. T. Nanavati|G.T. Nanavati]] to lead it, and it became known as the "[[Nanavati-Mehta Commission|Nanavati-Shah Commission]]."{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2012|p=79}}
Shah died in March 2008, just a few months before the committee submitted its first report. On 6 April 2008, the Gujarat High Court appointed retired judge Akshay Kumar Mehta to the committee.<ref>{{cite news|title=Newly appointed justice Mehta of Nanavati Commission visits Godhra |url=http://www.indlaw.com/guest/DisplayNews.aspx?56B07EF3-D892-4C2A-9912-290F301FEC75 |access-date=11 May 2013 |newspaper=IndLaw |agency=UNI |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203025216/http://www.indlaw.com/guest/DisplayNews.aspx?56B07EF3-D892-4C2A-9912-290F301FEC75 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> During its six-year investigation, the commission examined more than 40,000 documents and the testimonies of over 1,000 witnesses.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gujarat: Nanavati Commission submitted its first report on 2002 riots in state |url=http://www.indlaw.com/guest/DisplayNews.aspx?B42ED5C4-09FE-4F2E-988F-225B5F66F8C6 |access-date=11 May 2013 |newspaper=IndLaw |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203025211/http://www.indlaw.com/guest/DisplayNews.aspx?B42ED5C4-09FE-4F2E-988F-225B5F66F8C6 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> Although the committee's initial term was three months, it received 22 extensions, until June 2014, to submit its final report.<ref name="Indian Express">{{cite news|title=Nanavati panel gets its 20th extension|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nanavati-panel-gets-its-20th-extension/1136987/|access-date=2 December 2013|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=3 July 2013}}</ref><ref name="TOI1114">{{cite news|title=With 21st extension, Nanavati report after LS polls|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/With-21st-extension-Nanavati-report-after-LS-polls/articleshow/28209339.cms|access-date=19 April 2014|newspaper=Times of India|date=1 January 2014}}</ref>
====Report====
In September 2008, the commission submitted "Part I" of its report on the Godhra incident, supporting the theory originally proposed by the Gujarat police.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2012|p=80}} The report identified Maulvi Husain Haji Ibrahim Umarji, a cleric in Godhra, and Nanumiyan, a dismissed [[Central Reserve Police Force]] officer, as the "masterminds" behind the operation.<ref name="India 2008">[https://web.archive.org/web/20130602070023/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOI&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOIM/2008/09/27&ID=Ar01400 The Godhra conspiracy as Justice Nanavati saw it] The Times of India, 28 September 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2012. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130602070023/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOI&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOIM/2008/09/27&ID=Ar01400 Archived] 21 February 2012.</ref> The committee's conclusion was supported by a statement from Jabir Binyamin Behra, a criminal in custody at the time, although he later denied making such a statement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/1511763/report-godhra-case-eventually-maulvi-umarji-comes-out-unscathed|title=Godhra case: Eventually, Maulvi Umarji comes out unscathed|work=Daily News and Analysis|date=23 February 2011|access-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> Additionally, the report cited the alleged acquisition of 140 liters of petrol hours before the train's arrival, its storage at the guest house of Razzak Kurkur—accused of being a key conspirator—and forensic evidence indicating that fuel was poured on the train coach before it was set on fire.<ref name="India 2008" /> The report concluded that thousands of Muslims from the Signal Falia area attacked the train.<ref name=IT1>{{cite news|last=Uday|first=Mahurkar|title=Godhra carnage a conspiracy: Nanavati report|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/latest-headlines/story/godhra-carnage-a-conspiracy-nanavati-report-30580-2008年09月26日|access-date=11 May 2013|newspaper=India Today|date=26 September 2008}}</ref><ref name=ibn2009>{{cite news|title=Gujarat may come clean today, say 1,180 died in riots|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gujarat-may-come-clean-today-say-1180-died-in-riots/86485-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090302054521/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gujarat-may-come-clean-today-say-1180-died-in-riots/86485-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 March 2009|access-date=30 May 2013|newspaper=IBN7|date=28 February 2009}}</ref>
====Reactions====
The [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] and the [[Indian National Congress]] objected to the commission's exoneration of the Gujarat government, citing the timing of the report—just months before general elections—as evidence of unfairness. Congress spokesperson [[Veerappa Moily]] criticized the premature absolution of the Gujarat government for its alleged complacency in the carnage before the commission's second and final report was released. The CPI(M) argued that the report reinforced communal prejudices.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cong, CPM question Nanavati report's credibility|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-27/india/27895962_1_nanavati-report-nanavati-commission-justice-nanavati|access-date=30 May 2013|date=27 September 2008|archive-date=29 June 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629121439/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-09-27/india/27895962_1_nanavati-report-nanavati-commission-justice-nanavati|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|url-status=dead}}</ref> The commission has also been heavily criticized by academics, such as [[Christophe Jaffrelot]], for obstructing the course of justice, supporting the conspiracy theory too quickly, and allegedly ignoring evidence of governmental complicity in the incident.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Iyer|first=SH|title=Babu Bajrangi's bail and Gujarat riot probe|journal=Combat Law|date=May–June 2008|volume=7|issue=3|pages=16–19}}</ref>
===Banerjee investigation===
====Appointment and report====
[[File:The high level committee on Godhra fire incident, headed by Justice U.C. Banerjee, Retired Supreme Court Judge, presenting its final report to the Chairman, Railway Board, Shri J.P. Batra in New Delhi on March 3, 2006.jpg|thumb|Justice U.C. Banerjee, presenting the final report of enquiry on Godhra fire incident to the Chairman of the Railway Board, J.P. Batra, in New Delhi in 2006]]
On 17 May 2004, following the victory of the [[United Progressive Alliance]] (UPA) in the Indian general election, [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] was appointed as Railway Minister. In September 2004, two and a half years after the train burning, Yadav appointed former Supreme Court Justice [[Umesh Chandra Banerjee]] to investigate the incident. In January 2005, Banerjee presented his interim report, which tentatively described the fire as an "accidental fire" after ruling out other theories. He cited a forensic report indicating that the injuries sustained by the victims were consistent only with an "internal fire." The report was also critical of the railways' handling of evidence relevant to the case.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2012|pp=77–80}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Excerpts from the Justice U C Banerjee Committee report|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-excerptsfrom-the-justice-u-c-banerjee-committeereport-1016092|work=Daily News and Analysis|date=3 March 2006|access-date=2 December 2013}}</ref><ref name="GJHC20-03-2006">{{cite web|title=Union of India vs. Nilkanth Tulsidas Bhatia, LPA No. 364 of 2005 in SCA No. 16500 of 2005|url=http://indiankanoon.org/doc/892047/|publisher=Gujarat High Court|access-date=2 April 2014}}</ref>
====High Court judgment====
Banerjee's findings were challenged in the Gujarat High Court by Neelkanth Tulsidas Bhatia, who was injured in the incident. In October 2006, the court quashed Banerjee's conclusions, ruling that the investigation was "unconstitutional, illegal, and null and void." It declared the formation of the investigation to be a "colorable exercise of power with mala fide intentions" and deemed the argument of an accidental fire to be "opposed to the prima facie accepted facts on record." The High Court also directed that the report should not be tabled in Parliament.<ref>[http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=75485 Banerjee panel illegal: Gujarat HC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524035416/http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=75485 |date=24 May 2010 }} ''The Indian Express''&nbsp;– 13 October 2006</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061104020147/http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/14/stories/2006101405431200.htm Bannerjee Committee illegal: High Court] [[The Hindu]]&nbsp;– 14 October 2006</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = HC terms Sabarmati Express panel illegal |work=The Financial Express |date=14 October 2006| url = http://www.financialexpress.com/news/story/180656/| access-date= 4 February 2011 <!--DASHBot-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Laloo flaunts Godhra report |work=The Tribune |date=20 January 2005 | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050121/main1.htm| access-date= 4 February 2013 <!--DASHBot-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = India train fire 'not mob attack' |work=BBC News |date=17 January 2005 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4180885.stm| access-date= 4 February 2011 <!--DASHBot-->}}</ref><ref name="express-2006">{{cite news | title = Banerjee panel illegal: Gujarat HC | author = Press Trust of India | publisher = Express India | date = 13 October 2006 | url = http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=75485 | access-date = 4 February 2011 <!--DASHBot--> | archive-date = 24 May 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100524035416/http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=75485 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name=ibnnews16oct06>{{cite web|title=BJP cheers as HC slams Godhra panel|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-cheers-as-hc-slams-godhra-panel/23990-4-2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325083341/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-cheers-as-hc-slams-godhra-panel/23990-4-2.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 March 2014|publisher=IBN Live|access-date=25 March 2014}}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=February 2023|reason=Unnecessary [[WP:CITEKILL]] for a simple ruling, see if there's useful info in them that can be used elsewhere}}
====Reactions====
The BJP, then in opposition in the Union Parliament, dismissed the report as an attempt to influence the upcoming Bihar elections.<ref name=tribune2005>{{cite news|title=Godhra report attempt to help Laloo: BJP|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050118/main1.htm|access-date=25 March 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=17 January 2005}}</ref> It welcomed the High Court's judgment, viewing it as a setback for the Congress.<ref name="tribune-2006">{{cite news|title=Gujarat HC nullifies Banerjee Committee|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061014/main1.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061027002603/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061014/main1.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 October 2006|access-date=25 March 2014|date=13 October 2006}}</ref> Lalu Prasad Yadav, then the Minister for Railways, cited the report as evidence that the Narendra Modi government had orchestrated the riots that followed, calling it an exposure of the BJP.<ref name=tribune2005/>
==Trial and court verdict==
===Arrests===
By 28 February 2002, 51 people had been arrested in connection with the incident on charges of arson, rioting, and looting.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news|title=Dozens arrested over India train attack|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1845905.stm|access-date=1 January 2014|date=28 February 2002|work=BBC News}}</ref> On 17 March 2002, chief suspect Haji Bilal, a local town councillor and Congress worker,<ref name=REFCON>{{cite news|title=Godhra, 'secular' 'progressives' and politics|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/2002/mar/25rajeev.htm|newspaper=Rediff News|date=25 March 2002}}</ref> was captured by an anti-terrorist squad in Godhra. The FIR alleged that a 1,540-strong mob attacked the Sabarmati Express on 27 February, shortly after the delayed train left Godhra station. The president of Godhra municipality, Mohammed Hussain Kalota, was arrested in March. Other arrestees included corporators Abdul Razak and Shiraj Abdul Jamesha. Bilal was also alleged to have connections with gang leader Latif and was reported to have visited [[Karachi]], [[Pakistan]], several times.<ref name=EI1>{{cite news|title=Chargesheet filed against 66 Godhra accused|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=10692|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=Indian Express|date=23 May 2002|agency=Press Trust of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chief suspect in India train attack arrested|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1878385.stm|access-date=1 January 2014|newspaper=BBC|date=19 March 2002}}</ref>
The SIT filed a charge sheet before First Class Railway Magistrate P.K. Joshi, which spanned more than 500 pages. It stated that 59 people were killed in the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express when a mob of around 1,540 unidentified individuals attacked it near Godhra railway station.<ref name=rediff2>{{cite news|title=Charge sheet filed against 66 accused for Godhra mayhem|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/may/23train.htm|access-date=30 November 2013|newspaper=Rediff}}</ref><ref name=liveindia /> The 68 people accused in the charge sheet included 57 individuals charged with stoning and setting fire to the train. The charge sheet also noted that the mob attacked the police, prevented the fire brigade from reaching the burning train, and stormed the train a second time. Eleven others were charged as part of this mob.<ref name=TH1>{{cite news|last=Dasgupta|first=Manas|title=Chargesheets filed in Godhra train carnage case|url=http://hindu.com/2002/05/24/stories/2002052402951300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203064747/http://hindu.com/2002/05/24/stories/2002052402951300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 December 2013|access-date=30 November 2013|date=24 May 2002|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> Initially, 107 people were charged, five of whom died while the case was still pending in court. Eight juveniles were tried in a separate court. During the trial, 253 witnesses were examined, and over 1,500 documentary pieces of evidence were presented to the court.<ref name=liveindia1>{{cite news|title=Godhra train carnage judgement tomorrow |url=http://liveindia.tv/india/godhra-train-carnage-judgement-tomorrow/ |access-date=22 May 2013 |newspaper=Live India |date=21 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625065302/http://liveindia.tv/india/godhra-train-carnage-judgement-tomorrow/ |archive-date=25 June 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>
On 24 July 2015, the prime accused in the Godhra case, Hussain Suleman Mohammad, was arrested by the Godhra crime branch in [[Jhabua]] district, Madhya Pradesh.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Godhra-carnage-Main-accused-held-after-13-years/articleshow/48209717.cms|title=Godhra carnage: Main accused held after 13 years|website=[[The Times of India]]|date=25 July 2015 }}</ref> On 18 May 2016, a previously missing conspirator, Farooq Bhana, was arrested in Mumbai by the Gujarat [[Anti-Terrorism Squad|Anti-Terrorist Squad]].<ref>{{Cite journal| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/After-14-yrs-man-who-added-fuel-to-Godhra-fire-arrested/articleshow/52335116.cms| title=After 14 yrs, man who added fuel to Godhra fire arrested| journal= The Times of India| date= 19 May 2016}}</ref> On 30 January 2018, Yakub Pataliya, aged 63, was arrested in Godhra by a team of B Division police after receiving a tip-off that he had been spotted in the town.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mid-day.com/articles/2002-godhra-train-burning-63-year-old-accused-arrested-after-16-years/18998154|title=2002 Godhra train burning: 63-year-old accused arrested after 16 years|date=2018年01月30日|work=mid-day|access-date=2018年01月30日}}</ref>
===Prevention of Terrorism Act and trial===
On 3 March 2002, The [[Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance]] (POTO) was invoked against all the accused, but it was later suspended due to pressure from the central government.{{Clarify|date=April 2024}} On 9 March 2002, the police added criminal conspiracy charges. In May 2003, the first charge sheet was filed against 54 accused, though they were not charged under the [[Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002|Prevention of Terrorism Act]] (POTA).{{Efn|POTO became an act as it was cleared by Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2002 |title=President's assent to four more bills |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/releases98/lyr2002/rapr2002/02042002/r0204200214.html |access-date=2023年02月27日 |website=archive.pib.gov.in}}</ref>}} In February 2003, POTA was re-invoked against all the accused after the BJP retained control of the Gujarat legislature in the 2002 assembly [[2002 Gujarat legislative assembly election|elections]].<ref name=timelinetoi />
In November 2003, the [[Supreme Court of India]] stayed the trial. In 2004, the POTA was repealed after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power, prompting a review of its invocation against the accused. In May 2005, the POTA review commission decided not to charge the accused under POTA. This decision was later unsuccessfully challenged by a victim's relative in the Gujarat High Court and, subsequently, on appeal before the Supreme Court.
In September 2008, the Nanavati Commission submitted its report on the incident.<ref name="timelinetoi" /> In 2009, after accepting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, the court appointed a special fast-track court to try the case and established five other fast-track courts to try the post-incident riots. The bench hearing the case also mandated that public prosecutors be appointed in consultation with the SIT chair. It ordered the SIT to serve as the nodal agency for witness protection, file supplementary charge sheets, and potentially cancel the bail of the accused.<ref name="Hindu-trial">{{cite news|last=Venkatesan|first=J|title=Court: set up six fast track courts to try Godhra & riot cases|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/02/stories/2009050257860100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502182039/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/02/stories/2009050257860100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 May 2009|access-date=22 May 2013|date=2 May 2009|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> 
More than 100 people were arrested in connection with the incident. The court was set up inside the [[Sabarmati Central Jail]], where almost all the accused were confined. The hearings began in May 2009,<ref>{{cite news|title=Godhra carnage: fast-track court begins proceedings|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/godhra-carnage-fasttrack-court-begins-proceedings/466585/|access-date=22 May 2013|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|date=27 May 2009|location=Ahmedabad}}</ref> with Additional Sessions Judge P.R. Patel designated to hear the case.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 May 2009 |title=Godhra riots: Gujarat HC appoints 9 judges |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/godhra-riots-gujarat-hc-appoints-9-judges-393783 |access-date=2023年02月27日 |website=[[NDTV]] |agency=[[Press Trust of India]]}}</ref>
In May 2010, the Supreme Court restrained trial courts from pronouncing judgments in nine sensitive riot cases, including the Godhra train incident. The trial was completed in September 2010, but the verdict could not be delivered due to the Supreme Court's stay.<ref name="liveindia1" /> The stay was lifted in January 2011, and the judge announced that the judgment would be pronounced on 22 February 2011.<ref name="timelinetoi">{{cite news |date=22 February 2011 |title=Chronology of Godhra trial |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |agency=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]] |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chronology-of-Godhra-trial/articleshow/7546855.cms |url-status=live |access-date=22 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001120531/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-22/india/28624659_1_godhra-train-u-c-banerjee-s-6 |archive-date=1 October 2013}}</ref>
===Court verdict===
In February 2011, the trial court convicted 31 people and acquitted 63 others, concluding that the incident was a planned conspiracy. The convictions were based on the provisions for murder and conspiracy under Sections 302 and 120B of the [[Indian Penal Code]], as well as Sections 149, 307, 323, 324, 325, 326, 332, 395, 397, and 436 of the IPC, along with relevant sections of the Railway Act and Police Act.<ref name=liveindia /> The death penalty was awarded to 11 convicts, including those believed to have attended a meeting the night before the incident where the conspiracy was formed, and those who, according to the court, entered the coach and poured petrol before setting it on fire. Twenty others were sentenced to life imprisonment.<ref name="NDTV 2011">{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/godhra-verdict-31-convicted-63-acquitted-86991 |title=Godhra verdict: 31 convicted, 63 acquitted |work=NDTV |date=3 January 2011 |access-date=9 June 2013 |archive-date=29 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129024715/http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/godhra-verdict-31-convicted-63-acquitted-86991 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Hindu1>{{cite news|title=It was not a random attack on S-6 but kar sevaks were targeted, says judge|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1513008.ece|access-date=22 May 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=6 March 2011|location=Chennai, India|first=Manas|last=Dasgupta|archive-date=17 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117044114/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1513008.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>
Maulvi Saeed Umarji, whom the SIT believed to be the prime conspirator, was acquitted<ref name=liveindia>{{cite news|title=Special court convicts 31 in Godhra train burning case |url=http://liveindia.tv/india/states/special-court-convicts-31-in-godhra-train-burning-case/ |access-date=22 May 2013 |newspaper=Live India |date=22 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119002050/http://liveindia.tv/india/states/special-court-convicts-31-in-godhra-train-burning-case/ |archive-date=19 January 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref> along with 62 other accused due to a lack of evidence.<ref name=MD>{{cite news|title=Key accused let off in Godhra case|url=http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/feb/230211-fast-track-court-Godhra-case-verdict-Sabarmati-Express.htm|access-date=22 May 2013|newspaper=Mid Day|date=23 February 2011}}</ref> The convicted individuals filed appeals in the Gujarat High Court. The state government also challenged the trial court's decision to acquit 61 individuals and sought death sentences for 20 convicts who had been sentenced to life imprisonment.<ref name=IE1>{{cite news|title=Guj govt challenges acquittals in Godhra verdict before HC|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/guj-govt-challenges-acquittals-in-godhra-verdict-before-hc/808659/|access-date=11 May 2013|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=25 June 2011}}</ref>
===Gujarat High Court verdict===
In October 2017, the Gujarat High Court, accepting the prosecution's contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident, commuted the death sentences of 11 convicts to life imprisonment while upholding the life sentences of 20 others.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/2002-godhra-train-burning-carnage-case-riots-gujarat-high-court-sit-commutes-death-sentence-of-11-convicts-to-life-imprisonment-4881586/|title=2002 Godhra train burning case: Gujarat HC commutes death sentence of 11 convicts to life imprisonment|date=2017年10月09日|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2017年10月09日|language=en-US}}</ref> As a result, all 31 individuals convicted by the SIT court in 2011 were sentenced to life imprisonment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2002-godhra-burning-case-gujarat-high-court-commutes-death-for-11-convicts-to-life-in-prison/articleshow/61001808.cms|title=2002 Godhra train burning case: Gujarat high court commutes death for 11 convicts to life in prison – Times of India|work=The Times of India|access-date=2017年10月09日}}</ref> Meanwhile, the 63 others who had been acquitted by the trial court in 2011, including the alleged mastermind, were re-acquitted by the High Court.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-godhra-train-burning-an-important-court-decision-today-10-points-1760393|title=In Godhra Train Blaze, Alleged Mastermind And 30 Others Acquitted Again|work=NDTV.com|access-date=2017年10月09日}}</ref> The court also ordered the state government and the railways to pay {{INRConvert|10|l|year=2017}} in compensation to the families of each of the 59 victims.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.news18.com/news/india/godhra-train-burning-case-hc-orders-compensation-for-victims-kin-1540441.html|title=Godhra Train Burning Case: HC Faults State Govt, Orders Rs 10 Lakh for Victims' Kin|work=News18|access-date=2017年10月09日}}</ref>
===Reactions to the SIT investigation===
BJP spokesperson [[Syed Shahnawaz Hussain|Shahnawaz Hussain]] stated, "The theory propagated by the (central) government and some NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization) has been proved wrong...."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011年02月23日 |title=Vindicates stand on conspiracy: BJP |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/vindicates-stand-on-conspiracy-bjp/ |access-date=2023年02月26日 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Law Minister Veerappa Moily, a Congress Party member, said it was premature to comment and that the courts would take their own course.<ref>[http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=712707 Godhra Train Carnage Verdict: Reactions] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212654/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=712707 |date=4 January 2014 }} Outlook India – 22 February 2011</ref> [[R. K. Raghavan]], head of the [[Special Investigation Team (India)|Special Investigation Team]] (SIT), expressed satisfaction with the verdict. BJP spokesperson [[Ravi Shankar Prasad]] added that the verdict had exposed the "nefarious designs" of the UPA government, which he accused of trying to cover up the entire episode.<ref name="OL-reactions">{{cite news|title=Godhra Train Carnage Verdict: Reactions|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=712707|access-date=11 May 2013|newspaper=Outlook India|date=22 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212654/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=712707|archive-date=4 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==In popular culture==
* ''[[Chand Bujh Gaya]]'', a 2005 film, uses the Godhra train burning incident as the background for a love story.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashraf |first=Syed Firdaus |date=2 October 2002 |title=The Gujarat factor |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2002/oct/02godh.htm |access-date=2023年02月26日 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref>
* ''[[Kai Po Che!]], a'' 2013 film, had the Gujarat riots as a backdrop for the main narrative. It was based on the novel ''[[The 3 Mistakes of My Life]]'' written by [[Chetan Bhagat]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Trisha |date=2013年03月07日 |title=Framing the divide |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/framing-the-divide/ |access-date=2023年02月26日 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[Final Solution (2004 film)|Final Solution]], a'' 2004 documentary film, depicts the train burning and the Gujarat riots that followed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2004年08月06日 |title=India bans religious riot movie |language=en-GB |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3542340.stm |access-date=2023年02月26日}}</ref>
* ''[[Accident or Conspiracy: Godhra]],'' a 2024 film, based on a report set up to investigate the train burning incident''.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Accident or Conspiracy Godhra teaser out. Film based on Nanavati Commission report promises to uncover the truth |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/accident-or-conspiracy-godhra-teaser-out-film-based-on-nanavati-commission-report-promises-to-uncover-the-truth-2386399-2023年05月30日 |access-date=2024年03月30日 |website=India Today |date=30 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
* ''[[The Sabarmati Report]],'' a 2024 film, starring [[Vikrant Massey]] follows him as a journalist probing the truth behind train burning incident.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ANI |date=2024年11月06日 |title=Vikrant Massey reveals he's been receiving threats for 'The Sabarmati Report' |url=https://theprint.in/feature/vikrant-massey-reveals-hes-been-receiving-threats-for-the-sabarmati-report/2344751/ |access-date=2024年11月10日 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref> 
* [[L2: Empuraan]] is a 2025 Malayalam movie which is loosely based on the [[2002 Gujarat riots|2002 riots]]. This movie revolves around Godhra train burning incident.<ref>{{Cite web |title='L2: Empuraan' row: Mohanlal apologises for 'objectionable' scenes, agrees to remove them |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/entertainment/2025/03/30/mohanlal-apologises-for-objectionable-scenes-in-empuraan-agrees-to-remove-them.html |access-date=2025年04月01日 |website=The Week |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Best Bakery case]]
* [[Naroda Patiya massacre]]
* [[Bilkis Bano case|Belkis Bano case]]
==Notes==
{{Noteslist}}
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last=Brass |first=Paul R. |title=The Production of Hindu-Muslim Violence in Contemporary India |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-98506-0 |year=2005}}
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* {{cite book |editor-first=Isabelle |editor-last=Clark-Decès |title=A Companion to the Anthropology of India |year=2011 |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |isbn=978-1405198929}}
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* {{cite journal |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |title=Communal Riots in Gujarat: The State at Risk? |journal=Heidelberg Papers in South Asian and Comparative Politics |year=2003 |url=http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/4127/1/hpsacp17.pdf |access-date=5 November 2013 |archive-date=4 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204131058/http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/4127/1/hpsacp17.pdf |url-status=live}}
* {{cite journal |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |title=Gujarat 2002: What Justice for the Victims? |url=http://www.epw.in/journal/2012/08/special-articles/gujarat-2002-what-justice-victims.html |url-access=subscription |journal=Economic & Political Weekly |date=25 February 2012 |volume=XLVII |issue=8 |pages=77–80 |jstor=41419907}}
* {{cite book |last=Kishwar |first=Madhu Purnima |title=Modi, Muslims and Media: Voices from Narendra Modi's Gujarat |year=2014 |publisher=Manushi Publications, New Delhi}}
* {{citation |last=Mitta |first=Manoj |title=The Fiction of Fact-Finding: Modi & Godhra |year=2014 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers India |isbn=978-93-5029-187-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Nussbaum |first=Martha C. |chapter=The Clash Within: Democracy and the Hindu Right |url=https://archive.org/details/valuesviolencein00kara |url-access=limited |year=2008 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1402086595 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/valuesviolencein00kara/page/n94 81]–97 |editor=Ibrahim A. Karawan |editor2=Ibrāhīm Karawān |editor3=Wayne McCormack |editor4=Stephen E. Reynolds |title=Values and Violence: Intangible Aspects of Terrorism}}
* {{cite book |last=Nussbaum |first=Martha C. |title=The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence and India's Future |year=2007 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-03059-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Williams |first=Philippa |chapter=Hindu–Muslim Relations and the "War on Terror" |title=A Companion to the Anthropology of India |year=2011 |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |isbn=978-1405198929 |editor=Isabelle Clark-Decès |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98uLj5FpTHQC&pg=RA9-PA1988}}
{{Refend}}
==External links==
* [http://home.gujarat.gov.in/homedepartment/downloads/godharaincident.pdf Report By The Commission of Inquiry Consisting of Mr. Justice G.T. Nanavati And Mr. Justice Akshay H. Mehta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316134832/http://home.gujarat.gov.in/homedepartment/downloads/godharaincident.pdf |date=16 March 2013 }}
* [http://www.sabrang.com/tribunal/ Detailed Report on the Godhra riots by the Concerned Citizens Tribunal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115112215/https://www.sabrang.com/tribunal/ |date=15 January 2020 }}
{{2002 Gujarat riots}}
{{Railway accidents and incidents in 2002}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godhra Train Burning}}
[[Category:2002 disasters in India]]
[[Category:2002 controversies]]
[[Category:Railway accidents in 2002]]
[[Category:Persecution of Hindus by Muslims]]
[[Category:2002 fires in Asia]]
[[Category:2002 Gujarat riots]]
[[Category:Railway accidents and incidents in Gujarat]]
[[Category:History of Islam in India]]
[[Category:21st century in Hinduism]]
[[Category:February 2002 in India]]
[[Category:Train and rapid transit fires in India]]
[[Category:Controversies in India]]
[[Category:Anti-Hindu violence in India]]
[[Category:Arson attacks on vehicles in India]]