Ahmedabad: Sources said that Godhra panel had given clean chit over the involvement of then government of CM Narendra Modi in 2002 Godhra communal riots.
The Nanavati commission on Tuesday submitted its final report on post-Godhra riots after more than 12 years and 25 extensions including 4,160 cases of violence between February 27 and May 31, 2002.
Sources said, “The commission has concluded that there was no direct involvement of the state government in cases of rioting, but it felt that there was a scope for improvement in police department to control the violence.”
The commission comprises retired Supreme Court Justice G T Nanavati and retired high court Justice Akshay Mehta. They handed over the report, running into more than 2,000 pages, to CM Anandiben Patel.
Justice Nanavati said, “It is up to the state government to make it public.”
He, over the delayed in submitting the report, said, “We would have submitted the report earlier. There was a delay of more than two years because SIT refused to share investigation papers with us. Also, because of (IPS) Sanjiv Bhatt who frequently moved HC.”
The commission had submitted its first report on the burning of S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express in Godhra in September 2008, where it said that the attack was a planned conspiracy.
The commission perused more than 50,000 affidavits submitted by riot victims for inquiry into post-Godhra riots. It also examined hundreds of witnesses including IPS officers P C Pande, R B Sreekumar, Rahul Sharma, Sanjiv Bhatt, former home minister Gordhan Zadafia and others.
Notify that the probe panel did not question then CM Narendra Modi, who faced severe criticism for not being able to control the riots that witnessed 1,169 deaths in three months.
Commission had tried justifying its action by saying that there was not enough evidence showing Modi’s involvement and hence his presence and questioning was not required.
Bureau Report
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