Ahmedabad, Mar 1 (PTI): Eleven convicts in the Godhra train burning case were today handed down death sentence while 20 others were given life imprisonment by a special court in the 2002 incident that left 59 'karsevaks' dead and triggered riots which claimed over 1200 lives in Gujarat.

Special judge P R Patel considering the case as 'rarest of rare' pronounced death penalty for 11 out of the 31 convicted in the case while 20 others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

'The court looking into their active role in the conspiracy and setting afire the S6 coach of Sabarmati Express train near Godhra, gave death penalty to 11 people,' public prosecutor J M Panchal said after the judge pronounced the sentence inside Sabarmati Jail.

The court also slapped punishment on them under various other sections, which will be concurrent to their life term.