The Gujarat government on Thursday announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of 52 victims of the 2002 Godhra train burning, PTI reported. In an official release, the state government said the decision had been taken as per an order of the Gujarat High Court passed in 2017.
The High Court had directed the state government as well as the Railways to pay compensation to the families of those killed in the incident. The compensation will be paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
On February 27, 2002, coach S6 of the Sabarmati Express was set on fire at Godhra station and 59 people, most of them pilgrims returning from Ayodhya, were killed. The incident had triggered communal riots across Gujarat in which close to 1,000 people were killed.
According to the release, seven of the 59 victims have not been identified till date. The government will, thus, pay a cumulative compensation of Rs 2.6 crore to the families of the other 52 victims.
The High Court had asked both the state government and the Railways to separately pay Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the victims, ensuring a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.
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