The Gujarat government Friday told a special court it will not accept a central panel's recommendation to withdraw charges of terrorism against those accused in the case of a train fire in Godhra that sparked off communal riots in the state.

Special public prosecutor H.M. Dhruv told the special POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) court here that contrary to the Central POTA Review Committee's views, there was enough evidence against the 131 accused under the anti-terror law.

"Not only is there prima facie case under provisions of POTA, but there is more than sufficient material and evidence to attract provisions of POTA. I request the court to proceed against the accused for the alleged offences," he said while filing the state government's reply.

"Three of the accused have confessed to plotting the crime. But the fact seems to have been overlooked by the review committee. We have presented such points before the court," government counsel Sudhir Brahmabhatt later told reporters.

The hearing in the matter would continue Monday.

Fifty-nine passengers were killed Feb 27, 2002 in a fire in a coach of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra station, 140 km from here.

The tragedy, alleged to be a mob attack on Hindu activists, led to statewide communal violence that claimed at least 1,000 lives.

While the state's investigating agencies had arrested 89 of the 131 accused of plotting what was seen as a terrorist conspiracy, the review committee appointed this year by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government saw little evidence in support of the theory.

After holding review hearings in March, the committee had concluded that there was no evidence of a terrorist conspiracy and POTA charges were not applicable.