Gujarat High Court ordered Compensation for the Religious Structures destroyed during Godhra Riots

Gujarat High Court on 8 Februiary 2012 pulled up the Narendra Modi government for inaction and negligence on its part during the 2002 post-Godhra riots .The riots led to large-scale destruction of religious structures.

A division bench of acting chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala made these observations, while ordering compensation for over 500 religious structures in the state. The court was hearing a petition filed by Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat (IRCG). The court observed that Inadequacy, inaction and negligence on the part of the state government to prevent riots resulted in large-scale destruction of religious structures across the state.

It further observed that state government is responsible for repair and compensation for such places. The court noted that when the government had paid compensation for destruction of houses and commercial establishments, it should also pay compensation for religious structures. It also ordered that principal judges of 26 districts of the state will receive the applications for compensation of religious structures in their respective districts and decide on it. They were asked to send their decisions to HC within six months.