Supreme Court sets aside Gujarat HC order on compensation for religious sites

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside a Gujarat high court order directing the state government to pay compensation for the damage and destruction of religious sites in the 2002 communal riots in the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra passed the order in the light of the assurance and scheme extended by the Gujarat government agreeing to pay for restoration of damaged religious structures during the communal riots.

The court was hearing an appeal by the state government against the Gujarat high court order on a plea by an NGO, Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat (IRCG), asking the state to compensate for the damage and destruction post the riots.

A division bench of then acting Chief Justices Bhaskar Bhattacharya and J.B. Pardiwala of Gujarat high court had ordered compensation for over 500 places of worships in the state in 2012.

IRCG’s plea had sought a court directive to the state government to compensate for damage and destruction of religious sites during the riots.

In February 2002, a group of Muslims in Godhra attacked and set fire to the Sabarmati Express, killing several Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya. This triggered widespread violence and riots in Gujarat.