The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Ahmedabad-based trial court to complete within three months the trial over the 2002 post-Godhra Gulberg Society massacre, in which 35 people including former Congress parliamentarian Ehsan Jaffri were burnt alive and 31 people went missing.

The bench of Chief Justice HL Dattu, Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice MY Eqbal reiterated its earlier order that the trial court judge upon completing the hearing would not pronounce the judgment.

The situation arose as the trial court judge who was hearing the matter has retired and a new judge has been appointed.

The new judge has been given three months’ time to complete the trial. There are 73 accused in the case.

The apex court is monitoring nine Gujarat riot cases that were probed by the Special Investigation Team appointed by the court and headed by former CBI director RK Raghvan. The trial is progressing in the Narodagam and Gulberg cases.

The verdict has been reserved in another case related to a British national.