Deccan Herald, 21 Sept. 2007
The Gujarat government on Thursday took a U-turn conceding before the GT Nanavati and KG Shah Commission, probing Godhra and post-Godhra communal violence, that the CD containing data of mobile calls made in Naroda Patiya had been officially procured from private mobile companies.
The state government had earlier doubted the authenticity of a CD and had claimed that the CD may have been procured by then DCP Rahul Sharma in his personal capacity as neither did the state government or any police official have the CD in its possession.
In an affidavit filed before the Commission, a state government representative admitted that then additional commissioner of police AK Surolia had instructed SP (crime) Chudasama to procure call details from mobile companies Cell Force and AT&T. A letter had been despatched by constable Harisinh Gohil on May 8, 2002 and on May 14, 2002 and the CDs had been duly collected from the companies.
The affidavit goes on to say that the CDs were handed over to then DCP Rahul Sharma, who had found the contents of Cell Force details insufficient and had asked Kumarrai Chandana, a IT official in the police force, to get fresh CDs from the company with complete details. While the state government made the admission, that the CDs had been procured officially, PP Pandey who took over the charge of the crime branch from Mr Surolia subsequently maintains that the CDs were with Rahul Sharma and the department was not aware of what had been done with them.
Advocate Dr Mukul Sinha of the Jan Sangharsh Manch, representing a section of the riot victims, made a submission requesting the summoning of Mr Surolia, Mr Chandana, Cell Force officer Mr Srinivasan and the then CEO of AT&T.
Dr Sinha had already submitted two CDS, one on the collusion between the ministers, police and rioters and another on the deadly plan. He had also submitted details of the locations of police officials in an analysis made on August 31. Dr Sinha claimed that the CD contains details of 30 lakh mobile numbers and it would be difficult to deny the contents by anyone.
Centre’s deadline
The poll-bound Gujarat has gained political importance with the Central government announcing that it had made more than Rs 70 crores available to the Gujarat government for providing additional ex-gratia assistance to the victims of the Godhra communal violence of 2002 in the state. The Union Home Ministry’s assertion on Thursday came after it asked the state government to ensure that the claims “are settled and the utilisation certificates sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs within 45 days”. The Centre asked for the utilisation certificates from the Gujarat government in a letter dispatched last week.
It means that the Centre has asked the dispensation to settle all claims just before elections.
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