Key Godhra train burning incident accused arrested from Malegaon

The Godhra train attack, that left 59 people dead, had triggered widespread violence in Gujarat in which over 1,000 people were killed.

Malegaon: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Wednesday arrested Imran Batuk, the key accused in the 2002 Godhra train burning case, from Malegaon.

Batuk was involved in illegal sand mining in Malegaon.

In May, Farooq Mohammad alias Bhana, who allegedly carried kerosene with him to torch the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station, was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Kaalol town, around 25 km from Godhra city.

Bhana, a corporator in Godhra when the incident took place, had moved to Mumbai to evade arrest.

Bhana, who was absconding since 2002, later became a property broker in Mumbai.

The ATS had last year arrested Kasam Ibrahim Bhamedi in connection with this case. Bhamedi was among those who pelted stones and broke the window panes of the S6 coach of Sabarmati Express before it was set ablaze in 2002.

Two other accused, Kadir Abdul Gani and Hussain Suleman Mohan, were last year arrested in this case.

The train attack, that left 59 people dead, had triggered widespread violence in the state in which over 1,000 people were killed.

The 59 people who died in the February 27, 2002 attack were mostly Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.