A special court has on Thursday convicted 24 people in the Gulberg communal riots triggered by the burning of a train carrying Hindu activists swept through Gujarat in 2002. The court, has convicted eleven of murder and 13 for other crimes, will deliver the quantum of punishment on June 6.

“The defence argument that the mob was instigated after Ehsan Jafri opened fire killing one person and injuring 14 must have held water and that is why the conspiracy theory has been rejected,” said defence lawyer Abhay Bhardwaj.

"This is justice half done and I will continue my fight for justice. I will fight till my last breath," an emotional Jafri said as the verdict was delivered 14 years after the carnage.

"The judgment is not in favour of the victims. I trust the judiciary but expected that all those involved in the brutal killings would be convicted," she said.

"We will approach the higher court for justice. I will discuss with my advocate and plan the future course of action. We have the legal options available," she added.

Her daughter-inlaw Rukaiya Jafri said, "Our family first became victims of the massacre and now after such a painful wait, the verdict is not in favour of those killed and their kin."

Zakia Jafri, the slain Congress MP’s wife expressed dismay over the verdict and said, Mujhe aur jaddojahad karna padega…mera case khatam nahi hua (I will have to make more efforts...the case is not over for me yet).”

“Of (the) 66 accused, 36 have been acquitted. Justice has been only (been) half delivered,” said Zakia, who travelled to Ahmedabad from Surat for the judgment. She is likely to appeal against the verdict in higher courts.

Gujarat BJP president Vijay Rupani termed the verdict as a “setback for the Congress as its conspiracy to hold Narendra Modi and the BJP responsible for the incident has fallen flat”.

By Premji