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Inquiry finds no evidence of Godhra terrorist conspriacy
June 5, 2005 | Comments Off on Inquiry finds no evidence of Godhra terrorist conspriacy
The committee headed by Justice SC Jain has completed its inquiry into the Godhra train fire, and has reported that it found no evidence of a “terrorist” conspiracy. These findings contradict the BJP government of Narendra Modi, which has always maintained that the Godhra train fire was a planned terrorist conspiracy.
The three-member committee, which the Congress government set up last year, has recommended dropping charges against suspects held in Godhra under anti-terrorism laws. An unnamed official said that the committee recommended that all 120 accused in the Godhra case be tried under other sections of Indian law, including murder, arson, unlawful assembly, and rioting.
The committee says the fire at Godhra was a result of a provocation at the town’s railway station between passengers on the ill-fated Sabarmati Express and vendors at the station, the majority of whom were Muslims.
The committee report also says that the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) charges against the accused were an afterthought by the prosecution, as they were included in the list of other charges a year after the incident.
The committee has submitted the report to Home Ministry and the Gujarat government; Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah said the state government will place the report before the court.
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