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Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

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Commission rejects Gujarat Government's plea

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD, JULY 27. The inquiry commission probing into the Godhra train carnage and the subsequent communal riots in Gujarat today rejected the State Government's plea for an adjournment of proceedings in the light of a fresh notification expanding the panel's ambit and the timeframe to be covered by it.

The G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah Commission ruled that the proceedings could go simultaneously with the collection of additional evidence under the new notification issued by the Government last week. There was no need to postpone the ongoing cross-examination of police officials on the basis of the affidavits filed by them earlier.

Fresh notification

The Government pleader, R.B. Pandya, had on Monday filed a plea for adjournment in view of the notification which brought the Chief Minister, the Ministers concerned, bureaucrats, police officials as well as political parties and non-government organisations under its ambit. The notification also brought under the commission's purview the communal incidents that took place in May 2002. Under the original notification, only the incidents up to April 30, 2002 were to be probed.

The commission had posted the hearing on the adjournment plea today after counsel for Jan Sangharsha Manch, Mukul Sinha, who is appearing for the riot victims, raised objections claiming it to be a "ploy" to delay the panel's proceedings and prevent the cross-examination of the police officers. He said the proceedings and the collection of evidences could go on simultaneously.

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