Over a decade after the incident, designated special judge S C Srivastava acquitted 61 of the 83 accused, including former BJP MLA Prahlad Gosa and ex-municipal president Dayabhai Patel, also of the same party.
The court dropped the more serious charges of murder (section 302) and 120(B) (Criminal Conspiracy) of IPC against all 21 handed down life imprisonment and held them guilty of attempt to murder (section 307) and arson.
Former police inspector of Visnagar town M K Patel, who was held guilty of dereliction of duty, was sentenced to one year imprisonment.
The court also awarded two years imprisonment to six of the accused for rioting and the sentence will run concurrently with the life term.
Those convicted have also been fined between Rs 8000 and Rs 10,000, while the former police inspector has been fined Rs 150.
A frenzied mob had killed 11 members of a single family, including four children and five women, on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train carnage, in Deepda Darwaza area of Visnagar town in Mehsana. (More)