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`Killing of boy was the trigger'

By Manas Dasgupta

Policemen walk past a burning building on the outskirts of Gujarat's Veraval town which witnessed communal violence for the third day on Wednesday. — AP

AHMEDABAD, JULY 28. A former police official, who was in charge during the communal riots here in 2002, has claimed that a "private firing" and the killing of a Hindu boy had caused the Gulmarg Society and the Naroda-Patiya carnage, in which more than 150 Muslims died. The former Deputy Commissioner of Police, M.K. Tandon, in whose jurisdiction both the Gulmarg Society and Naroda-Patiya localities fell, today told the G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah Commission, which is probing the Godhra train carnage and the post-Godhra communal riots, that neither he nor the then Police Commissioner were present when the incidents took place.

`Missed calls'

During cross-examination by Mukul Sinha, counsel for the Jan Sangharsha Manch, Mr. Tandon said that though the Naroda-Patiya massacre took place sometime in the afternoon, he did not know about it till 9.30 p.m. He admitted that he had "missed calls" on his mobile phone and had not found time to call back because he was busy trying to contain violence in other areas.

Mr. Tandon claimed that the "killing" of Ranjit Vanjhara by Muslims triggered the Naroda-Patiya incident. Similarly, "private firing" caused the Gulmarg Society incident, in which the former Congress Lok Sabha member, Ehsan Jafri, was among those burnt alive. He could not say whether Mr. Jafri had opened fire, as is widely believed, but said the "instigation" was provided by the firing. He denied receiving any SOS from Mr Jafri; neither did he "run away" because of increasing tension. He left Gulmarg Society at 10.45 a.m. after the situation was under control. He left for Naroda-Patiya on learning about the growing tension and when he returned at 4 p.m., the massacre had been carried out. Similarly, when he returned to Naroda-Patiya at 9.30 p.m., there too the sordid episode had been completed.

`Police opened fire'

Mr. Tandon said that while in Naroda-Patiya, Hindu and Muslim mobs had come face to face, in Gulmarg, the Hindu mob was attacking Muslims. Mr. Tandon's cross-examination would be resumed on August 2.

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