Twelve witnesses, at an identification parade held amid tight security at Vadodara on Friday, identified Zabir Bin Yamin Behra, a member of the 'core team' that allegedly executed the Godhra train carnage.

Behra, charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, was produced before the Railways magistrate.

The Panchmahal district sessions court is empowered to hear cases even after the Gujarat government invoked POTA against 121 persons accused of hatching a conspiracy to burn down the Sabarmati Express transporting karsevaks from Ayodhya.

Legal sources told PTI that the district sessions court could hear the cases till a special POTA court is set up, apart from the appointment of a special public prosecutor, while J M Panchal, the public prosecutor, has been arguing the case.

Behra's confession before the first class mobile court magistrate led the Godhra Railway Police to arrest 'mastermind' of the carnage, Maulvi Hussain Umarji, a top cleric of the communally sensitive town.

Meanwhile, three people, including two members of a civic body arrested for their alleged involvement in the communal violence in Halol town of Panchmahals district of Gujarat, were remanded to judicial custody.

The three, who had been absconding since March last from Halol town after it witnessed large-scale arson after the Godhra incident, were arrested from the town on Thursday, according to Godhra police.

The accused have been identified as Mohammed Hussain Buddha, Mustaque alias Bapu Ibhrahim Bagwala (both members of Halol civic body) and Shabbir Ayub Shaikh.