The Hindu : National : Godhra panel refuses to issue summons to Vajpayee, Fernandes

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Friday, Jun 03, 2005

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Godhra panel refuses to issue summons to Vajpayee, Fernandes

Special Correspondent

To write to them asking if they are willing to depose before it

AHMEDABAD: The G.T. Nanavati-K.G. Shah judicial inquiry commission, which is probing into the Godhra train carnage and the communal riots that followed, will write to the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, and the former Gujarat Governor, Sunder Singh Bhandari, asking them if they were willing to depose before it.

The Commission rejected the plea of the advocate of the riot victims, Mukul Sinha, for issuing summons or sending any notice to force them to appear before the commission. However, along with the letters, it agreed to send copies of Dr. Sinha's applications for issuing them summons and the documents which formed the basis for such a demand.

Dr. Sinha had sought the cross-examination of Mr. Vajpayee, Mr. Bhandari and Mr. Fernandes on the basis of press statements about their roles during the Gujarat riots. The request was made following the former President, K.R. Narayanan's press interview that he had written to Mr. Vajpayee for early intervention by the Army to control the riots but he failed to act on time.

The Commission rejected Dr. Sinha's plea for summoning Mr. Narayanan after the former President informed it that he had "nothing more to add" to his earlier press statement.

Mr. Bhandari had also made some remarks about the handling of the riots by the Narendra Modi Government and had suggested a thorough inquiry. Though he retracted his statement, Dr. Sinha wanted to cross-examine him.

Pointsman questioned

The pointsman at the Godhra railway station, Fatehsinh Solanki, who uncoupled the burnt S-5 and S-6 coaches from the Sabarmati Express before it resumed its journey to Ahmedabad on February 27, 2002 was cross-examined by the Commission. To questions by Dr. Sinha, Mr. Solanki said no one had "re-set" the vacuum before the train resumed its onward journey.

While he uncoupled S-6 coach from S-7 at the site of the tragedy, the rest of the train was taken to the yard to detach S-5 and S-6. At no stage was there any need to re-set the vacuum break.

Dr. Sinha said Mr. Solanki's statement made it clear that there was no chain-pulling the second time as claimed by the Gujarat Government to establish its theory of a "pre-planned conspiracy."

The Commission will meet again on June 17 to consider Dr. Sinha's plea for re-summoning the main witness in the Best Bakery case, Zahira Sheikh.

Her cross-examination ended abruptly last month after she refused to reply to most of the questions.

Dr. Sinha said he would submit an application before the Commission to direct her to give proper replies.

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