Death sentences for India train massacre group

Eleven Muslims Have Been Sentenced to Death for starting a train fire killed 60 That the Hindu nationalists and triggered one of India's worst Outbursts of Religious Violence.

Judge P.R. Patel last week convicted 31 Muslims of being part of a Criminal Conspiracy That led to the deaths of 60 people "when a coach Sabarmati Express train packed with Hindu Pilgrims was set on fire in western Gujarat state in 2002.

The court today Sentenced on the other 20 people convicted in the case to Life imprisonment.

About 1.000 people were killed on the fire "when groups of Hindus rampaged through Muslim districts and towns in Gujarat from February Thurs April 2002. Most of the dead were Muslims.

The Religious Violence was among India's worst since the ITS Independence from Britain in 1947.

The state government, Which has Been controlled by the Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, has Been Accused by the opposition and media of Not Doing Enough To Stop the Violence and of evangelical stoking it.