Click to play videoNew Delhi: Justice G T Nanavati, who led the commission probing the burning of the Sabarmati Express in 2002 at Godhra, has defended his report, which says that the blaze was “pre-planned”.
Nanavati refused to comment on the U C Banerjee Committee report, which had said that burning of the train was an accident. “I don’t want to say anything regarding merits of that issue. We have given the report—everything is in the report. One has to read the report and find out for himself,” Nanavati told CNN-IBN Correspondent Ashok Bagariya.
Asked if he was satisfied with his report, he said: “naturally”.
Nanavati said it was after examining witnesses that he reached the conclusion that the train was torched on February 27, 2002 as part of a conspiracy. “Witnesses had given evidence before the commission. They were examined and cross-examined and on the basis of that conclusions have been drawn,” he said.
“People are entitled to their views. We have given the report; our job is over. It is now for the people to consider,” he said when asked to comment on allegations that his report was politically motivated.
Questions are being raised as to why Nanavati chose to give the first part of his report on the Godhra incident even while the second report on the post-Godhra riots is still being written.
Nanavati defended his decision. "Nobody has or had approached the commission saying the 2002 riots were state sponsored and that is not a matter before us now,” he told CNN-IBN.
Civil liberty groups have criticised Nanavati’s report for saying that "there is absolutely no evidence to show that either the Chief Minister (Gujarat) or any of the ministers in his council or police officers had played any role in the Godhra incident."
The Supreme Court Friday refused to accept a petition to stop the circulation of the Nanavati’s report. A bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam, however, issued notice to the Gujarat government on a lawsuit for publication and circulation of the report.
The lawsuit by civil rights group, Citizen for Justice and Peace, also wanted the court’s direction to stop the Gujarat government from acting on the recommendation of the report.
The bench, however, after issuing notice to the Gujarat government, slated the plea for detailed hearing October 13.
Appearing for the civil rights group, Delhi High Court’s former judge Rajinder Sachar pleaded to the apex court bench that the state government should be stopped from taking any action on the report just as the Gujarat High Court had stayed the implementation of the U.C. Banerjee Committee report.
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