Gulberg: 'Mob carried out massacre as top cops delayed

Top police officials deliberately did not react in time to rein in a mob that went on the rampage and killed 69 people of the minority community at Gulberg Society during the 2002 riots, a special court here was told today.
The officials, including the then city police commissioner P C Pandey, former joint commissioner of police M K Tandon, former assistant commissioner of police P B Gondiya and the then assistant commissioner of police (crime branch) S S Chudasama, did not take adequate action to control the mob on the day of incident on February 28, 2002, advocate S M Vora, who represents the survivors, told special court judge P B Desai.

Vora was making his submission on a plea seeking the arraignment of the police officers for "negligence of duty".
According to call data records, Pandey was in his office from 11 am to 6 pm while the incident occurred between 3 pm to 5 pm, said Vora.
Pandey got messages from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) that a mob had gathered at the society in Meghanianagar area but he did not leave his office even to control the situation, contended Vora.
Vora said Gondiya was relaying a "false message" to the control room saying his personnel had ran out of weapons and cartridges.

However, the evidence on record and testimonies of witnesses, which also include statements of some police officers, have suggested they had enough weapons to control the mob, the counsel said.
According to the control room messages, Gondiya had sought additional cartridges, but each police personnel with him was carrying a total of 50 cartridges and a .303 rifle, he said.
Tandon and Chudasma reached the site of the massacre after the mob had inflicted the damage, Vora said, adding they delayed reaching the spot intentionally.