Give us Sreekumar: Panel

The state government had last week refused to spare Sreekumar, and instead offered to depute G.C. Raiger. It said Sreekumar could not be of help as he was not the intelligence chief on February 27, 2002 when the carnage took place; the post was held by Raiger at that time.

Sreekumar had caused embarrassment to the state government in a deposition before the other commission investigating the Godhra carnage and the riots that followed. He had stated on affidavit before the state government-appointed Justice G.T. Nanavati and Justice K.G. Shah Commission that police officers had acted on the directions of politicians.

Reacting to the refusal to spare Sreekumar, the Justice U.C. Banerjee Commission wrote to Gujarat Director-General of Police A.K. Bhargav on January 6 that Raiger would not do — Sreekumar was the officer it wanted. The other two officers the commission has sought are Raju Bhargava, who was Panchmahals police chief when the carnage took place, and J.K. Bhatt, who headed the railway police then.

The strongly-worded reply says the state government seems to be ignoring the Commission’s repeated requests.

Officials in the commission expressed annoyance at the government’s attitude and said: ‘‘How can they send us Y when we call for X?’’ They said the three officers wouldn’t be cross-examined or asked to depose, and would only be helping with the investigation. The commission will be arriving for the investigation on January 18 and has said it will need the officers’ help for three days.

Commenting on the commission’s letter, Bhargav said: ‘‘I don’t know why the commission is communicating with me. It should be talking to the Home Department for summoning police officials.’’

Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Amit Shah said his department would reply to the commission soon.

Sreekumar told The Indian Express, ‘‘I was asked to depose before the Nanavati-Shah Commission. And if I’m asked to assist the Banerjee Commission, I will follow orders.’’