AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Government has been given a week's time by the G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah judicial inquiry commission to submit a list containing names of officials of the State Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) who can analyse compact discs (CDs). The panel is probing the Godhra train carnage and the riots that followed.

The time was given after the State Government, which was asked by the commission to submit a list of organisations and experts in CD analysis, on Monday told the commission that it could identify only one institution in this field, the cyber crime branch in the State FSL.

List of mobile numbers

The demand for the analysis of two CDs submitted to the commission by the former State police intelligence department official, Rahul Sharma, containing the list of mobile phone numbers called to and from between February 27 and March 3, 2002, was made by the advocate for the Jansangharsha Manch, Mukul Sinha. He is fighting the cases for the riot victims.

Dr. Sinha submitted a list containing the names of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, then Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police and some senior leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Sangh Parivar outfits and senior officials, whose numbers he wanted to be analysed. He contended that an analysis of the CDs could reveal valuable information about the location of these leaders during the riots, some of whom were accused of having participated in the carnage.

"Privacy violation"

The State Bharatiya Janata Party, however, submitted an application to the commission on Monday, opposing Dr. Sinha's demand. It stated that the analysis of the CDs would not reveal any useful information, and making the details public would be in violation of the privacy of the mobile holder and breach of agreement between the service provider and the customer.

The BJP also doubted the authenticity of the CDs, claiming that as Mr. Sharma, while submitting the CDs, had not revealed the names from whom he got the CDs and what its contents were.

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