Nanavati panel gets 9-month extension

The state government has granted 19th extension to the Justices (retired) Nanavati-Mehta Commission,this time for nine months while setting the new deadline of December 31,2012 for the panel to submit its final report on the 2002 riots. An order in this regard was passed by the Home Department a few days back.

The Commission was constituted on March 6,2002 to probe into the 2002 Godhra train carnage and the subsequent statewide riots.The Commission has already given its first report pertaining to the burning of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express in which 59 kar sevaks were killed near the Godhra railway station on February 27,2002. The Commission had called the incident as a pre-planned conspiracy involving ‘some individuals’.Initially,the Commission consisted of Justices (retired) G T Nanavati and K G Shah. However,with the death of Shah in March 2008,Justice (retired) Akshay Mehta was appointed as the second member of the Commission.