2002 riots: Special probe team may seek time

“A lot of investigation had been done earlier into these cases and we have to take those too into consideration,” Raghvan said while claiming that he was under no political pressure. “We have been given a free hand.”

Raghavan asserts it is too early to say if the probe will reveal something drastically new. “But investigations are on in all the cases. I am an optimistic, perhaps some more unknown cases may surface,” Raghavan said. However, he refused to speak on the possibility of any specific case being wrapped up first.

While the SIT chief is optimistic about the probe, others are not so sure. “We have made representations in several cases including the massacre in Naroda Patiya, Naroda Gaon, Godhra and Gulbarg society. We had even produced phone records and details pointing to the involvement of some top VHP leaders,” said lawyer Dr. Mukul Sinha of the Jansangrash Manch. “But we have not heard anything from the team since or seen any action taken. Now that their original term is getting over, we are apprehensive,” he said.

“We deposed before the team and they have taken down our statement,” says Rupa Modi, mother of 12-year-old Azhar who went missing after the Gulbarg Society massacre. “We can only hope that these investigations would yield something and the cases would be shifted out of Gujarat,” Rupa said.

The probe into the cases has been divided among Geeta Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia, all belonging to the Gujarat cadre of the IPS. Geeta Johri, the SIT convener, said. “We may have to seek an extension, and we will take a call on that in our next meeting,” she said.

Following its request last Tuesday, the SC, incidentally, allowed the SIT to seek the assistance of Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati and senior advocate K.G. Menon of the Mumbai High Court.

“The role of this team, as we understand it, is somewhat similar to that of the CBI,” said Tanvir Zafri, son of slain Congress MP Ehsaan Zafri. “So far, the team has not exposed the role of the police and the administration in the riots,” he said.

The team made its first arrest in April 19 when it arrested Parbat Thakore, an absconder in the infamous Gulbarg massacre case, in which former Congress MP Ehsaan Jafri and 39 others were killed.

On May 26, the team had arrested eight others—Joitaram Patel, Natwar Patel, Ashwin Patel, Baldev Patel, Kanu Patel, Daya Patel, Ramesh Patel and Babu Vana Patel—all residents of Sardarpura village, in connection with the Sardar Pura riots in Mehsana district, where 33 people were killed.