89 killed in a massacre, police let the probe die

• In Godhra, of the 123 accused, three obtained bail and the police applied POTA, primarily to block bail. In the Naroda-Patiya case, of the 68 accused, all but three have obtained bail. They are prosecuted under criminal law.

• The police got the properties of all 51 absconders in the Godhra case attached. But not in the case of any absconder in Naroda Patiya.

• The investigation of the Godhra case is being handled by a special investigation team (SIT), headed by an officer of deputy inspector-general rank. The investigation has seen enough drama: three or four men being declared conspirators or masterminds, step-by-step presentation of how the attack was carried out, arrests being made from far and wide, truth-serum tests and lie-detector tests.

The Naroda-Patiya investigation has changed hands thrice: Naroda police first; then Assistant Commissioner P.N. Barot; and then, two months later, the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), already burdened with 40 post-Godhra cases.

Not one conspirator has been named; in fact, the police say there was no conspiracy, and that Naroda-Patiya was a reaction to Godhra, the immediate provocation being the killing of a Hindu autorickshaw driver in the vicinity.

Although Bajrang Dal functionary Babubhai Raja Patel alias Babu Bajrangi, BJP worker Kishan Korani, VHP activist Padmendrasinh Rajput, Raju Chobal, and Haresh Rohera were named in an FIR as instigators, the first four are free on bail, the fifth was never caught.

For others described initially as instigators — Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Jaideep Patel, Bipin Panchal, Dharmesh Patel and Bhavesh Gandhi — the DCB has filed reports under Section 173 of Criminal Procedure Code, requesting the court to clear their names as the facts presented in the FIRs have been found to be false.

Assistant Commissioner M.T. Rana, who oversees Naroda Police Station, says: ‘‘It is not that there is no evidence to prove their participation, but it is less. Only solid evidence is admissible and accepted in court.’’

Where does that take the case? Commissioner K.R. Kaushik refused to comment, but Deputy Commissioner D.G. Vanzara, who is the investigating officer, said: ‘‘We have taken pains in identifying and arresting the accused. The investigation has been completed, and we are expecting conviction.’’