AHMEDABAD: The G.T. Nanavati and K.G. Shah Commission on Wednesday directed District Collectors to submit a "status report" on the makeshift camps provided for victims of the post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat.

The order came on a report submitted by a voluntary organisation, Antarik Visthapit Hak Rakshak Samiti (committee to protect rights of the internally displaced), which claimed that even after five years, many of the victims were unable to return to their villages and were living in camps without basic amenities.

As per the list submitted by the Samiti, the judicial Commission asked nine Collectors to submit reports on the conditions and facilities in each of the camps including in the worst-hit Dahod and the Panchmahals.

Public hearing

The Commission fixed for April 25 a public hearing on any incident which occurred during the riots in eight "police districts" — Rajkot, Vadodara rural, Broach, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Patan, Gandhinagar and Surat — though most of these areas were by and large "incident-free" in 2002.

Meanwhile, the police officer who investigated the Godhra train carnage, Noel Parmar (now retired), filed an affidavit claiming that he had "learnt" from some senior railway officials that an alarm chain in the ill-fated coach (S-6) of the Sabarmati Express could be operated from outside despite modifications.

No affidavit

However, in spite of the Commission's directive, senior railway engineer Gangaram Rathod, who was earlier quoted by the government pleader as saying that such modified coaches could be operated from outside by moving the "CAM" lever, has not filed any affidavit.

"New invention"

Lok Sangharsha Manch advocate Mukul Sinha, appearing on behalf of the riot victims, disagreed with the Government's claim and said the "CAM" was a "new invention" of the police to misdirect the inquiry.

The Commission asked him to file an affidavit on his objections to the "CAM" theory.

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