Life convict from Godhra train case arrested in Pune after jumping parole

Salim Zarda, a 55-year-old life convict from the 2002 Godhra train carnage case, was arrested in Pune on January 22 after jumping parole in September 2023. He was involved in multiple thefts, including stealing 40 tyres. Zarda had previously been paroled eight times and was part of a gang that stole items worth Rs 14.4 lakh. His connection to the Godhra case emerged during the investigation into the thefts. Zarda was one of 31 convicted in the Godhra train burning, which killed 59 people. Initially sentenced to death, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment by the Gujarat High Court.