Roundup: Indian court convicts 24 in 2002 anti-Muslim riot

A local court in India's western state of Gujarat Thursday convicted 24 people for killing Muslims at a housing society during an anti-Muslim riot in the state in 2002.

Sixty nine Muslims, including a former lawmaker Ehsan Jafri belonging to Congress party, were hacked and burnt to death at Gulbarg housing society after Hindu mob set fire to their homes in a deadly attack on the residents, lawyers representing the victims said.

The special court in state's Ahmedabad city however acquitted 36 others including a local leader of India's ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) party and dropped the conspiracy charge against all the accused.

A total of 66 Hindus were accused in the case and of them six died during the trial. Of the 24 convicted, 11 have been charged with murder, while other 13 have been convicted for lesser offences.

"The quantum of punishment for those convicted in the case will be pronounced on Monday," a lawyer said.

India's Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the case, had directed the specially designated court to deliver its verdict by May 31, the state-run All India Radio said.

The Gulberg Society case is one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team.

More than 1,000 Muslims were killed and thousands displaced across Gujarat in 2002 during a series of riots which victims said was a pogrom.

The riots considered to be the worst since India's independence, which was triggered after a train fire at Godhra that killed 58 Hindu pilgrims.

Muslims were blamed for setting up the train coach on fire, and Hindu mobs in revenge rampaged the Muslim areas in towns and villages of Gujarat for three days.

Zakia Jafri, the widow of Ehsan Jarfi, told Indian media she was not satisfied with the judgment. She had previously alleged that her husband's calls for help to top officials at the time of massacre went unheard. Endit