Guj Govt says no to filing fresh FIR in Gulbarga Society case

Ahmedabad, July 24 (UNI) The Gujarat Government has rejected the demand for filing a fresh FIR in the post-Godhra carnage incident of the Gulbarg Society massacre, and asserted in the High Court that six chargesheets have already been filed in the lower court.

In a response to the Gujarat High Court's notice in connection with a writ petition by Zakia, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was slain in the Gulbarg Society massacre, the State Government told the High Court yesterday that an inquiry commission was already looking into her allegations, levelled against senior police officers and ministers.

Ms Zakia has urged the court to direct the state government to initiate proceedings against 63 politicians and senior police officials, including Chief Minister Narendra Modi and DGP P C Pande, for their alleged inaction in protecting the lives of residents of the Gulbarg Society during the post-Godhra riots. Thirty-eight Gulbarga Society residents were massacred by a mob. Ms Zakia has also sought a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Ms Zakia has accused the Gujarat police of being callous while registering an FIR on her complaint. The government, however, said an FIR has already been lodged with the Meghaninagar Police and six chargesheets were filed against the accused. Hence, there is no need for a second complaint to be lodged.

The Gujarat Government said Zakia Jafri's statement had been recorded once in 2003. But, after her written application to the state police chief to lodge a complaint with the Gandhinagar police station on June 8, 2006, she was intimated to come and record her statement, but she had reservations to come. She, along with her son, had appeared before Ahmedabad Police Commissioner J Mahapatra on October 16, 2006, but refrained from recording her statement.

In response to the petitioner's demand for an independent inquiry, the government stated that the Supreme Court has clearly laid down that the transfer of investigation can take place if police do not investigate the case in a proper manner.

Justice M R Shah is scheduled to hear the case further on August 25.

UNI