The Hindu : National : 'Names of VHP leaders figured in FIR'

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Friday, Aug 20, 2004

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National

'Names of VHP leaders figured in FIR'

By Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD, AUG. 19. The former police inspector of Naroda, K.K. Mysorewala, today admitted that the names of some senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders and a BJP member of the Gujarat Assembly figured in the police first information report in connection with the communal riots in 2002, but did not know how these names "disappeared" at a later stage.

Appearing before the G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah Judicial Inquiry Commission probing into the Godhra train carnage and the post-Godhra communal riots, Mr. Mysorewala said the names of the VHP State general secretary, Jaideep Patel, and MLA, Mayaben Kodnani, who was also the BJP city unit president, were mentioned as accused by the victims.

Names deleted

He, however, said that their names figured in connection with the rioting cases in Naroda Gam, about a kilometre away from Naroda-Patiya where more than 80 people were burnt alive by a mob. Their names were mentioned by the victims in their complaints and in the FIR but said he did not know how their names were later deleted.

He had also seen a senior Bajrang Dal leader, Babu Bajrangi, in Naroda-Patiya locality in the afternoon talking to the people but did not know what role he played.

Mr. Mysorewala blamed the attack in Naroda-Patiya on the "brutal killing" of a Hindu youth, Ranjit Vanjhara, behind a mosque and the reckless driving of a Muslim truck driver in which a Hindu was killed and two others were injured.

Rumours were spread in connection with the two incidents that added fuel to the communal fire. Hindus attacked a mosque and later the Muslim houses in the locality.

Inadequate police force

According to Mr. Mysorewala, the Naroda police station with 80 policemen was adequate in normal times but the situation on February 28 was unprecedented and was quickly going out of control.

He said he had asked for police reinforcement and was given 24 additional SRP men but even that was inadequate considering the size of the attacking mob, about 17,000 people.

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