03-26-2008, 06:43 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Reinvestigate Gujarat riots: SC </b>
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New Delhi/Ahmedabad, March 25: Dissatisfied with the investigations into the Gujarat riots, the Supreme Court on Tuesday <b>upheld the plea of the National Human Rights Commission and agreed to set up a five-member special investigation team </b>to reinvestigate cases of communal carnage that rocked Gujarat for close to three months in 2002. Over 2,000 people, most of them Muslims, had lost their lives in these riots.
The riots, however, consolidated the position of the stateâs BJP Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, as âHindu Hriday Samratâ and bought him impressive victories in Assembly elections. Reopening of the investigations into the riot cases are likely to bring out several skeletons. The SIT has been directed to submit its report within three months.
The Narendra Modi government is happy with the setting up of an SIT primarily because it feared that the investigation might be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, over which it would have no control. Pushed on to the back foot, the Modi government did not argue much in the court and readily agreed to an SIT investigation. The five-member SIT will comprise three senior IPS officers from Gujarat â Ms Geeta Johri, Mr Sivananad Jha and Mr Ashish Bhatia â and two others: the former CBI director, Mr R.K. Raghavan, now retired, and Mr C.V. Satpathy, an Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer.
Human rights activists in Gujarat allege that the SIT members from Gujarat are individuals whose names had been forwarded by the Modi government. âThe Modi government was fearing a more stern investigation. The IPS officers from Gujarat in the SIT have been suggested by the Gujarat government itself. Instead of these names, it would be better if there are unbiased officers in the SIT,â an activist said.
It must be noted that all the three Gujarat IPS officers who figure in the SIT enjoy the reputation of being close to the Modi government, specially after he romped to victory with an impressive majority in the December elections. While Ms Geeta Johri had come to national attention with her probe into fake encounters, it must be recalled that there were no high-profile political figures involved in that case.
It is alleged in Gujarat that the involvement of politicians in fake encounters was hushed up under political pressure. Human rights activists would have preferred IPS officers like Rajnish Rai, Rahul Sharma, Satish Verma or Atul Karwal to be a part of the SIT. These officers are known for their unbiased stand and many of them have testified at citizensâ tribunals and independent inquiries.
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Â
New Delhi/Ahmedabad, March 25: Dissatisfied with the investigations into the Gujarat riots, the Supreme Court on Tuesday <b>upheld the plea of the National Human Rights Commission and agreed to set up a five-member special investigation team </b>to reinvestigate cases of communal carnage that rocked Gujarat for close to three months in 2002. Over 2,000 people, most of them Muslims, had lost their lives in these riots.
The riots, however, consolidated the position of the stateâs BJP Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, as âHindu Hriday Samratâ and bought him impressive victories in Assembly elections. Reopening of the investigations into the riot cases are likely to bring out several skeletons. The SIT has been directed to submit its report within three months.
The Narendra Modi government is happy with the setting up of an SIT primarily because it feared that the investigation might be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, over which it would have no control. Pushed on to the back foot, the Modi government did not argue much in the court and readily agreed to an SIT investigation. The five-member SIT will comprise three senior IPS officers from Gujarat â Ms Geeta Johri, Mr Sivananad Jha and Mr Ashish Bhatia â and two others: the former CBI director, Mr R.K. Raghavan, now retired, and Mr C.V. Satpathy, an Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer.
Human rights activists in Gujarat allege that the SIT members from Gujarat are individuals whose names had been forwarded by the Modi government. âThe Modi government was fearing a more stern investigation. The IPS officers from Gujarat in the SIT have been suggested by the Gujarat government itself. Instead of these names, it would be better if there are unbiased officers in the SIT,â an activist said.
It must be noted that all the three Gujarat IPS officers who figure in the SIT enjoy the reputation of being close to the Modi government, specially after he romped to victory with an impressive majority in the December elections. While Ms Geeta Johri had come to national attention with her probe into fake encounters, it must be recalled that there were no high-profile political figures involved in that case.
It is alleged in Gujarat that the involvement of politicians in fake encounters was hushed up under political pressure. Human rights activists would have preferred IPS officers like Rajnish Rai, Rahul Sharma, Satish Verma or Atul Karwal to be a part of the SIT. These officers are known for their unbiased stand and many of them have testified at citizensâ tribunals and independent inquiries.
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