NGO urges Nanavati Commission to summon Modi for cross examination

Ahmedabad, Aug 31 (UNI) ''Jansangharsh Manch'', an NGO representing post-Godhra riot victims, today submitted an application before the Nanavati-Shah Commission urging that Chief Minister Narendra Modi, other ministers and government officials be summoned for cross examination in connection with the 2002 riots.

Advocate Mukul Sinha, representing the NGO, urged justices G T Nanavati and K G Shah to summon state Chief Minister Narendra Modi, then Home Minister Gordhan Zadafiya, Health Minister Ashok Bhatt and four other officials for deposing before the Commission.

The NGO, in its application, said it was making the request since evidences, including the mobile phone call data during the period, suggest that calls were made between policemen, politicians and rioteers on mobile phones.

There is prima facie evidence to suggest that the violence that rocked the state from February 28, 2002 onwards was the result of a pre-plan that was worked out by several ministers, police officials, VHP and the BJP leaders, the application said.

The application said the bodies of the deceased in the Sabarmati Express train carnage, were brought to Ahmedabad in great haste upon the directives of the Chief Minister. The funeral was marked by violence against the minority community, the application further stated.

A similar application was also moved today by Advocate Hiralal Gupta before the Commission.

Both, Adv Sinha and Adv Gupta, have annexed a recent newspaper report on the statement of then Home Minister Gordhan Zadafia that the Chief Minister was equally responsible for what had happened during the riots.

Jansangharsh Manch has already made its submission regarding the evidence that was extracted from the mobile telephone calls which were placed on record by CBI officer Rahul Sharma (who was a Gujarat police official of DSP-rank during the riots) to the Commission when he came to depose before it on October 14, 2004.

Other persons to be called for deposing before the Commission included Omprakash, then PA to the Chief Minister, Tanmay Mehta, PA/OSD to Chief Minister, Sanjay Bhavsar, OSD to Chief Minister and R J Sawani, the then DCP Zone V of Ahmedabad.

UNI