SC notices to CBI, Guj. govt seeking probe into 2002 riots

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the State of Gujarat on a petition seeking a CBI inquiry into the killing of 21 people during the 2002 communal riots, following the recovery of their skeletons earlier this year.

A Bench comprising Justice B N Agrawal and Justice P P Naolekar, issued notices on the petition filed by Amina bibi, Habib Rasool and others, who had made the plea to the court to direct the State Government to hand over the skeletons which had been identified through DNA tests, for burial or cremation according to the respective religions.

Senior Counsel Harish Salve, appearing for the petitioners, contended that the deceased could have been victims of a fake encounter carried out by Gujarat police. For a free and fair investigation, the matter should be handed over to an independent investigating agency like the CBI.

Mr Salve also stated that his clients have no faith in the State police and the present DCP of the State, P C Pandey, who was Commissioner of Police Ahmedabad during the riots which rocked the state following Godhra train carnage in which more than 50 kar sevaks proceeding to Ayodhya were burnt to death.

UNI