‘State govt’s doubt on CDs show double standards’a

Advocate Mukul Sinha of the Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) said that the raising of doubts on the authenticity of the CDs submitted by IPS officer Rahul Sharma before the Nanavati-Mehta Commission showed the state government’s double standards.

Sinha was talking to the media after a written response to the JSM’s submission before the panel where the state government had raised doubts over the authenticity of the CDs submitted by IPS officer Rahul Sharma. The CDs contain records of telephone calls made by political and bureaucratic top brass during the riots in 2002.

“It is interesting that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to look into 2002 riot cases investigation considered the data from the same CDs as prime evidence to track down the accused and arrest VHP leader Jaideep Patel and Maya Kodnani,” Sinha said after the hearing on Saturday. “On the other hand, the state government has raised doubts over the authenticity of the data in the CDs,” he said.

TG Nanavati, counsel for the state government, said that the authenticity of the CDs was in doubt as “it was analysed and zipped.” The government has also contended that the police investigation record showed that persons holding office, who were found involved either in instigating or committing violence had been dealt with according to the law.

“The state government never resisted the demand of a fair investigation into the riot cases and, in fact, volunteered for the constitution of the SIT to probe certain cases,” he said.

In the response filed by Nanavati, the state has denied several submissions of the JSM. The government has also denied the submission that chief minister Narendra Modi had gone to Godhra without informing the state intelligence or  home departments and local police officials, in a secretive manner. “There is neither a practice nor requirement in law for the office of the chief minister to inform all agencies about his travel plan,” it said.

The state has also denied that Modi entered coach S-6 along with several party activists on February 27, 2002, prior to the spot panchnama. “The material on record shows that the chief minister viewed the compartment only by climbing the steps of the coach and without entering the coach.” The government has also blamed the JSM for distorting facts and making “incorrect statements.” Justices GT Nanavati and Akshay Mehta adjourned hearing in the matter till July 15.