2002 Godhra riots: Gujarat govt given clean chit by Justice Nanavati-Mehta Commission; report tabled in Assembly

The Gujarat government tabled the final part of the Justice Nanavati-Mehta Commission report on the 2002 Godhra riots in the state Assembly on Wednesday. The report has given the then Narendra Modi-led state government and others a clean chit. [caption id=“attachment_225492” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A candlelit vigil was held in the year 2012 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Gujarat riots. AP[/caption] The commission held that the riots were not organised and the State administration had taken all necessary measures to control the situation,observing that it was the police that was ineffective and lacking competence and eagerness to control the mob violence, The Hindu reported. The first part of the report dealt with the incident involving the burning of the Sabarmati Express returning from Ayodhya train in which 59 kar sevaks were charred to death. It was tabled in 2009. Minister of State (Home) Pradeepsinh Jadeja tabled the final report in the House. The report, prepared by reitred Justices GT Nanavati and Akshay Mehta, was submitted in November 2014 to then chief minister Anandiben Patel, but was withheld. In September this year, the government submitted in the Gujarat High Court that it would table the second part of the report in the next Assembly session. The government’s response came after a petition filed by former IPS officer RB Sreekumar, seeking direction from the High Court to the government to make the report public. Then chief minister Modi had constituted a one-man commission in February 2002 to investigate the train burning incident and subsequent communal riots. However, the government later reconstituted the commission to include Justice Nanavati and Justice KG Shah, a former high court judge. After Shah’s demise, Mehta was appointed. The government had also expanded the terms of reference of the commission, bringing under its purview role and conduct of the chief minister, ministers and police officers during the riots. The commission was initially given six months to conduct the inquiry but was later given many extensions. Over 1,000 people were killed in communal riots in Godhra in 2002.