Nanavati panel submits 2002 Gujarat riots report to CM

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, November 18, 2014: The Justice Nanavati Commission, which probed the 2002 Gujarat riots, on Tuesday submitted its final report to state Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

The commission, which had retired judges GT Nanavati and Akshay Mehta as its members, was granted 24 extensions by the Gujarat government. The tenure of its 24th extension, granted on September 30, ended on October 31 this year.

In 2008, the inquiry panel had submitted a part of its findings about the Godhra train burning incident, in which it had concluded that the burning of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express near Godhra railway station was a "planned conspiracy".

The panel was constituted by the Gujarat government on March 3, 2002 under Justice K.G. Shah in the wake of the Godhra train carnage on February 27, 2002 and the subsequent communal riots that killed over 1000 Muslims and displaced thousands of others across the state.

Initially, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the commission were to inquire into the facts, circumstances and course of events that led to the burning of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express. In May 2002, the Gujarat state government appointed retired Supreme Court Justice G.T. Nanavati as the chairman of the commission and the TOR were further amended in June 2002 as per which the panel was also asked to inquire the incidents of violence that took place after the Godhra incident.

In 2008, after the death of Justice K.G. Shah, retired High Court Justice Akshay Mehta was appointed to the commission.
 
 
Courtesy: Indiatoday