Ahmedabad: The SIT was on Wednesay ordered to
further probe in the "larger interest of justice" the role of
four senior police officers including former Police
Commissioner P C Pande during the 2002 post-Godhra riots in
Naroda Patiya in which 95 people were killed.
The direction to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for
further probe based on the phone call records provided by some
of the victims was given by a special court hearing the Naroda
Patiya riots case.
The riot victims last week sought further investigation
in the matter and wanted four top-level police officers to be
included as accused, alleging they were part of a conspiracy
which led to inaction by police during the riots.
In their application, the victims had sought including
as accused in the case the then Naroda Inspector K K
Mysorewala, DCP (Zone IV) P B Gondia, JCP (sector 2) M K
Tandon (now retired) and Police Commissioner P C Pande (who
retired as DGP).
Special Judge Jyotsna Yagnik disposed of the victims`
application after the investigating officer of the case
Himanshu Shukla belonging to the SIT filed a reply stating
that further investigation was on and the final report, as
directed by the Supreme Court, would be filed in a magisterial
court that had taken cognisance of the crime in 2002.
Following this assurance by the SIT, victims` advocate
Y B Sheikh did not press with the application.
Directing the SIT to look into the clues provided by
the victims and make further investigation if not done so far,
the court said, "It was important to look into the allegations
in the larger interest of justice".
Special public prosecutor Akhil Desai submitted that the
SIT would further investigate the phone call details of
certain officers.
He said the SIT would not hesitate to look into the
clues provided by the victims and was willing to examine the
matter afresh if so required.
The victims had alleged that these police officers were
vital part of the criminal conspiracy which they had jointly
hatched with some of the accused in the case including
a former minister and MLA from Naroda and some local BJP
leaders.
PTI
