Godhra panel orders inquiry in destruction of '02 riot papers

The Commission, headed by Justice (retd) G T Nanavati, probing the 2002 Gujarat riots, ordered the setting up of a committee comprising Home Secretary M D Antani and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), State Arms Unit, Tirthraj.

The committee has been directed to inquire whether the documents sought to be inspected by Bhatt were maintained by the state government or Director General's Office or Intelligence Bureau or by none of them.

The Commission has also directed the committee to find out when and under what circumstances certain documents were destroyed either by the state authorities and to give its report within three weeks from today.

Raising doubts over the government's claims of destruction of some 2002 post-Godhra riots-related documents, Bhatt had pleaded to the Commission to appoint a high-level investigation.

Bhatt had filed an application on November 9, last year before the Commission with the chronology of events starting with his deposition in June 2011 before the Commission, when a senior state government counsel for the first time had claimed the destruction of documents, till the affidavit filed by the state with the probe panel mentioning the destruction of documents.

Alleging that there were 'faults' in the averments made by the government in an affidavit filed before the Commission, Bhatt had requested the panel to "urgently institute an independent high-level investigation in exercise of its powers under section 5A of the Commission of the Inquiry Act." (More)