Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Indian Court Convicts 31 Muslims, Acquits 63, In 2002 Attack on Hindus

A court in India's state of Gujarat has found 31 Muslims guilty of murder and criminal conspiracy in the 2002 attack in which they torched an express train carrying Hindu activists who were heading to build a temple on a disputed site.  The attack killed 59 and set off counter-riots in Gujarat that killed over than 1000 Muslims.  Today's Washington Post reports that the court acquitted 63 others in the trial, including 70-year old Maulana Hussain Umarji who was charged as a key conspirator. The 15-month trial called some 253 witnesses.  The convicted defendants will be sentenced on Friday. BBC News outlines the history of previous investigations into the train attack.