Godhra Riot Gang-Rape Case: Gujarat Govt Told To Apprise SC Of Departmental Action On Convicted Cops, Doctors

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Monday told the Gujarat government to apprise the court whether it had initiated any departmental action against six police officers and two doctors involved in a 2002-post Godhra riots gangrape case in the state.

The court directed the Gujarat state government counsel to file the status report within four weeks.

The court also asked the victim’s counsel Shobha to file a special leave petition against the compensation awarded by the trial court in case she seeks enhancement of the compensation amount.

The court order said while hearing a 2003 petition filed by the survivor of gangrape case during  Gujarat riots, raising various issues, including a prayer for action against six Gujarat cops and two doctors for botching the investigation.

The victim’s counsel told the apex court that the petition had two issues - one is compensation and the second is departmental action against the erring police officers.

She told the bench that the victim suffered a lot of trauma and needed more compensation and this court should pass a direction for enhancement.

She informed the apex court that the Gujarat High Court in May had convicted the accused officers and doctors, but declared their sentence as “undergone”.

The high court convicted the cops while setting aside the trial court’s acquittal in the case.

A total of 18 persons now stand convicted in the case.

The high court has upheld the life imprisonment of 11 men convicted for the gangrape.