A Survivor of the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre and NGO Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) have urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate into the role of IPS officer R J Sawani. Sawani was in-charge of areas like Dariapur,Bapunagar,Rakhial and Gomtipur where no major violence had taken place during the statewide communal riots. In an application submitted to the Supreme Court-appointed SIT,riot survivor Dildar Umrao Saiyed and JSMs Ambrish Patel have alleged that Sawani had received several calls from a few accused between February 27,2002 and March 4,2002. Citing his mobile phone call records,the letter underlined that the police officer either received or made calls to former state Home Minister Gordhan Zadafia as many as 26 times; 69 calls to Joint Commissioner of Police M K Tandon,in-charge of Sector II; six calls to VHP leader Jaideep Patel and three calls to BJP leader Maya Kodnani. It further alleges that most of these calls were made or received between 12.09 pm and 3.30 pm on February 28,considered to be a crucial period when the massacres took place at Gulberg Society,Naroda Gam and Naroda Patiya. The application has sought a probe into the pattern of communication between the three persons,since the pattern suggests that these three were having a common interest or intention. According to the application,Tandon visited Gulberg Society around 9 am on February 28 and met Ehsan Jafri. There he received a call from Sawani after which he immediately left,along with his police force,for Naroda Patiya where a mob was gathering to attack the minority community. He,however,moved away from there also with his force and went to Rakhial where there was no violence. Sawani,it claimed,also joined Tandon in Rakhial and then both of them went to Revdi Bazar in Dariapur area around 1.24 pm. Tandon stayed there till 4 pm,the period when Gulberg Society was attacked. JSM representative Mukul Sinha told Newsline that when the massacre was taking place in the Zone IV area under the charge of the then DCP P B Gondia,there was no justification for the officials or the ministers and politicians calling Sawani,in-charge of Zone V,so regularly. For,the latter had nothing to do with the sites where violence had been taking place. The pattern of phone calls,according to Sinha,between Sawani and Tandon gives rise to suspicion that Tandon was taking instructions from Sawani who was conducting himself as a coordinator with the minister. On his part,Sawani,who is currently commandant of the State Reserve Police (SRP),Group 15,at Mehsana,said,Mere communication with senior officials and ministers is not enough to prove conspiracy. He said that as a police official,he was required to be in touch with the minister as well as his seniors to maintain law and order in his own area,which remained quite peaceful.
