A commission which was meant to submit its report on the worst communal carnage in Gujarat in 2002 has got 15th extension from the Modi government since its appointment in March 2002. Now, the commission headed by Justice G.T. Nanavati will be required to submit its report by June 2011.
The commission’s deadline to submit its final report pertaining to the events of 2002, in which close to 1,200 people were killed, is June 2011. “The state government has granted another extension of six months to the inquiry commission headed by Justice Nanavati,” a senior official from the commission office said.
In its part one report submitted to the state government, the Nanavati Commission has virtually given a clean chit to the Modi government regarding the train burning incident in Sabarmati Express in which 59 people were burnt to death near Godhara railway station in February 2002.
It may be noted that the commission has not summoned Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for deposition despite its term of reference which includes examining role of the chief minister for communal riots.
After its extension in June this year, the commission had questioned former minister of state for home during the 2002 riots, Gordhan Jhadaphia, and recorded his statements. However, subsequently, the commission has submitted before the Gujarat high court that the former minister was not called as a witness. The high court had asked the commission to clarify the deposition of the former minister which was held in camera.
In the last couple of months, the panel has recorded the statements of several policemen, including some Indian Police Service officers who were posted in Ahmedabad during the riots almost nine years ago.
In February this year, while hearing the petition by the Jan Sangarsh Manch, a non-government organisation representing some of the 2002 riot victims, the Nanavati Commission had told the high court that it had completed the analysis of evidences and statements of witnesses, who have deposed before the commission.