Ram dhun, prayers mark Godhra anniversary

The second anniversary of the Godhra train carnage, in which 59 passengers, most of them kar sevaks returning from a pilgrimage to Ayodhya, were torched alive by a mob, began on a sombre note with prayer meetings on Friday.

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The Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised 'Ram dhuns' and mass prayer meetings at Maninagar, Vastrapur and Gota, where the charred remains of 18 unidentified victims were cremated.

The VHP will unveil a memorial for these 18 persons at the same spot on Saturday.

The S-6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was set ablaze at Godhra by a mob on February 27, 2002. The incident had sparked anti-Muslim riots all over Gujarat. Over 1000 people were killed in the violence.

The investigations into the case being conducted by a Special Investigation Team of the CID has taken many twists and turns with arrests in Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Some 64 accused in the case are lodged at the Sabarmati Central Jail.