The prosecution in Gulberg society massacre case on Monday asked for death penalty or life imprisonment for the 24 convicts in the case, reported PTI. The special court will hear the case and declare quantum of punishment for the convicts on June 9.

Public prosecutor RC Kodekar told the court that the convicts should get maximum punishment, which is capital punishment, going by Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code. The section states that every member of an unlawful assembly is held liable for any criminal act done in furtherance of a common object.

“The manner of crime was cruel, barbaric and inhuman. Victims’ bodies were roasted alive, in the crime for which there was no provocation, much less in case of women and children who were defenceless,” he said.

On June 2, the court found 24 people guilty in connection with the incident that left at least 69 Muslims, including Congress legislator Ehsan Jafri, in the Ahmedabad neighbourhood. The police officer who who had lodged the first FIR in the case but was later included in the list of accused, was also given a clean chit by the court. A total of 59 of the 66 accused were present in court for the verdict.

The petitioners also reacted to the court acquitting most of the accused in the case. Zakiya Jafri, the wife of the deceased Congress leader, said she will appeal against the verdict in higher courts. "Justice has been done in a minuscule manner, we are not happy about it," said a former Gujarat Intelligence chief.

A woman named Rupa, who lost her 14-year-old son in the attack, told NDTV, "The tragedy that befell on us... I don't want any mother, family to face it. How can anyone without fear of law go and kill people? They have to be punished." The Supreme Court had asked the Special Investigative Team bench to give its verdict by May 31.