97 Muslims were killed by a mob of approximately 5,000 people, organised by the Bajrang Dal, a wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, and allegedly supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party which was in power in the Gujarat State Government.

The surviving victims were given shelter in relief camps provided by both the state and central government, and efforts were begun to restore destroyed properties and shrines.

Mainstream media criticised the Gujarat government's handling of the riots; it was remarked that a number of news reports were exaggerated, and "inflammatory headlines, stories and pictures" were published, resulting in anti-Muslim prejudice among the Hindu readership.

Vishva Hindu Parishad and Kar Sevaks pilgrims returning from Ayodhya on the Sabarmati Express train were killed in a fire while stopped at Godhra station, causing the death of 58 Hindus, including 25 women and 15 children.

[6] Violence spread to the largely rural districts of Panchmahal, Mehsana, Kheda, Junagadh, Banaskantha, Patan, Anand and Narmada the next day.

[15] On the first day of the strike, a mob of approximately 5,000 people, allegedly led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bajrang Dal, attacked and attempted to burn the entire Muslim community of Naroda Patiya.

[30] In an incident that came to light in 2007, Suresh Dedawala (Richard) alias Langado was caught on camera in a Tehelka sting operation talking to Bajarangi about slitting the belly of pregnant Muslim Kausar Banu, removing her foetus and killing it with a sword.

[33] Northern and central Gujarat and the north-eastern tribal belt – which are closer to Godhra City – were the worst affected while Saurashtra and Kutch remained relatively peaceful.

[34] The Government of Gujarat transferred several senior police officers, who had taken steps to contain and investigate violent attacks, to administrative positions.

[46] On 18 July 2002, Modi asked the Governor of Gujarat, Sunder Singh Bhandari, to dissolve the state assembly and call fresh elections.

[8] On 16 March 2002, the state government formed an all-party committee consisting of 13 member and chaired by Bhandari to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the riots.

[8][52] Under pressure from the opposition party, the Indian National Congress, the all-party committee reached a consensus to implement rehabilitation measures suggested by various non-governmental organisations which were to aid people to build houses.

[55] It was also reported that many students were forced to leave their studies due to lack of funds or to earn a livelihood because they had lost income-earning members of their families.

[61] The government of Gujarat presented its report to National Human Rights Commission of India, justifying its role and stating its findings about the massacre.

[8][62] The state government's report did not mention the involvement of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists, despite statements by numerous eyewitnesses.

[8][56] Television and newspaper reports, particularly local Gujarati-language media, carried graphic and at times sensationalised images and accounts of the Godhra train fire and Naroda Patiya massacre.

[8][66][68] A report by the People's Union for Civil Liberties stated, "Major effect of media under long period has been to feed on the prevalent anti-Muslim prejudices of its Hindu readership and provoke it further by sensationalizing, twisting, mangling and distorting news or what passes for it.

The Gujarat government blocked cable news channels from broadcasting the expose, an action which was criticised by the Editors Guild of India.

Evidence included complaints filed by victims' family members which state that police officials fired bullets and helped the mob, resulting in the killings.

[8][77] According to Human Rights Watch, the police did nothing as houses and people were burnt and, on the day of the violence, did not respond to telephone calls until the massacre ended.

[8][29][27] In the violence, the extensive use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was reported, which was cited as evidence of the involvement of officials because of easy access to it.

[8][83][84][85][86] Human Rights Watch found evidence that the state government helped the mob in the attacks because action by police and other officials was delayed and "less effective".

[8] Celia Dugger of the New York Times reported that witnesses were "dismayed by the lack of intervention from local police", who often "watched the events taking place and took no action against the attacks on Muslims and their property".

"[89] Maya Kodnani, a BJP legislator described as the "kingpin of the violence" by Judge Yagnik, was later appointed as a Minister for Women and Child Welfare in Narendra Modi's government.

Modi was busy with steps to control the situation, establishment of relief camps for riot victims and also with efforts to restore peace and normalcy.

The report filed by Raju Ramachandran, a Supreme Court lawyer and an amicus curiae, alleged that Modi "gave instructions to top police officers to go slow on rioters".

On 7 May 2012, Ramachandran said that Modi can be prosecuted under sections 153 A (1) (a) & (b), 153 B (1), 166 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity among different groups during the 2002 Gujarat riots, including the Naroda incident.

The report was rejected by the team and according to the SIT, "No case can be made out against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 communal riots under any of the Sections of the Indian Penal Code mentioned by him [Ramachandran]".

The special trial court convicted Maya Kodnani, the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Naroda and former Minister for Women and Child Development of Gujarat,[97] and Bajrang Dal politician Babu Bajrangi under Indian Penal Code Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder).

[105] Judge Yagnik described her as the "kingpin of the violence",[105][106][107] and as the 37 months of trials ended, the court said in a statement that Kodnani had received help from the state government, and efforts had been made to avoid her name appearing on the list of accused.