Gujarat Police officer held in 2002 riot case

Ahmedabad: The Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested a Deputy Superintendent of Police for his role in the post Godhra communal riots in Gujarat.

The arrested Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kiritsinh Erda, will be produced before a court on Monday.

Erda was senior Police Inspector at the Meghaninagar police station in Ahmedabad, when the Gulbarg Society massacre took place on February 28, 2002.

On Sunday, the SIT arrested him from arrested from Valsad on charges negligence, destruction of evidence and taking false statements.

Erda is also accused of being a mute spectator when the mob attacked the society and is the first police officer arrested by the SIT

"He did not record and collect the evidences correctly and they were destroyed. He also prepared false papers," says SIT officer Aashish Bhatia.

As many as 39 persons, including former MP Ehsaan Jafri lost their lives in the Gulbarg Society killing and another 31 are still missing.

Human Rights groups like the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) say the arrest substantiates their claim of state government complicity in the riots.

"Unless the Supreme Court had been overseeing this investigation the police officers and politicians involved in the Gujarat genocide of 2002 and would not have been brought to book. The question now remains how far will the SIT go?” asks Teesta Setalvad, Secretary, CJP.

Meanwhile, the SIT is also likely to challenge the anticipatory bail of Gujarat Minister Maya Kodnani in the High Court on Monday, even as it has to present its report by February 15.

The SIT had declared Kodnani as absconder until she was given anticipatory bail by the court on Thursday and she is still absconding but only for the police force of Gujarat.

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