Release report on killing of Dalits in 2012 police firing: GIC

Gujarat Information Commission has asked the state government to release its inquiry report on the killing of three Dalit youths in police firing at Thangadh in Surendranagar district in 2012.
The Commission rejected the government's contention that the report cannot be released before it is submitted to the state Assembly.
In its order, Information Commissioner V S Gadhvi said the release of the report, before its submission to the Assembly, does not breach the privilege of the House in any way.
Gadhvi asked the government to take immediate steps on the release of the report and provide the same to the applicant.

The application to this effect was moved by Dalit activist Kirit Rathod who is associated with city-based NGO Navsarjan Trust.
Though the Commission passed this order on August 22, it was obtained by Rathod on September 3.

The youths were allegedly killed on the intervening night of September 22-23, 2012 when police opened fire on a group of Dalits that had laid a siege to police station in Thangadh.
They were protesting against the "police atrocity" following a clash between Dalits and Bharwad community members during the famed Tarnetar festival earlier that year.
Then Chief Minister Narendra Modi had set up a one-man inquiry panel of then Principal Secretary (Social Justice and Empowerment) Sanjay Prasad to probe the killings.

Meanwhile, Rathod alleged that the inquiry report, which was submitted to the state government in May 2013, was not made public because of indictment of some senior IPS officers whom the government wanted to shield.
"We had filed an RTI application in June 2013 seeking a copy of the report. However, state Home Department refused it on the ground that its Special Branch which has the report is exempted from the purview of the RTI," Rathod said today.
"We argued before the Commission that the matter pertains
to human rights violation, and therefore the report cannot be held back by government. The IC then passed an interim order on November 7 last year asking Home Department to share whatever was possible from the report," Rathod said.

However, Home Department did not share any part of the report on the grounds that it can cause a law and order problem and that releasing it is akin to the breach of privilege of Assembly since MLAs had sought tabling of the report in the House.
The Department stated that it will share the report only after it is tabled in Assembly, prompting Rathod to move the Information Commission seeking final order on the matter.