Godhra train fire pre-planned

Ahmedabad: The burning of a coach of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra in February 2002, which claimed 59 lives and triggered Gujarat-wide communal violence, was pre-planned, the Nanavati inquiry panel has concluded.

The first 200-page part of the report prepared by the panel headed by Justice (retd) GT Nanavati, which was tabled in the Gujarat assembly on Thursday, has virtually given a clean chit to Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying there was no evidence to incriminate him or any member of his cabinet for the ensuing violence.

Fifty-nine people, including 25 women and 15 children, were burnt alive in the S-6 coach when a violent mob set ablaze two coaches of the Sabarmati Express at the Godhra railway station on February 27. Many of them were Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists returning after a campaign in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The gruesome tragedy led to communal violence across the state for week in which 1,169 people, a majority of them Muslims, were killed.

As Minister of State for Home Amit Shah tabled the report, it created a furore with the opposition Congress crying foul and walking out.

The report said that 140 litres of petrol were purchased as part of the conspiracy to burn the bogie. It added that the conspiracy was hatched by Moulvi Umarji at the Aman Guest House in Godhra, and was meant to spread terror in the area.

The two-member inquiry commission was set up by the state government in March 2002. One of the members, Justice (retd) KG Shah died earlier this year, and the government appointed Justice (retd) Akshay Mehta in his place. The findings of the commission contradicts findings of another panel headed by Justice (retd) UC Banerjee, set up by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, which stated the fire was accidental and there was no evidence to suggest that it was planned.

HEAR THIS

Unless I was satisfied, I would not have given the report. We have no doubt about what we have written
— Justice (retd) GT Nanavati

You cannot expect an impartial report from a commission which had to submit its report to the same government which constituted it. It is a commission created virtually by the principal accused Narendra Modi
— Abhishek Singhvi, Congress spokesman

Justice Nanavati’s report is the most extensive, exhaustive and scientific report on the burning of the Sabarmati Express
— Prakash Javadekar, BJP spokesperson

The report is unacceptable to us. We will oppose it. It is a partisan report
— Gurudas Dasgupta, CPI leader mumbai news

Source: mumbaimirror.com