SC probe team also tracing source of legal expenses borne by some of the accusedThe Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), re-investigating the 2002 riots, has started scanning the source of relief funds raised by voluntary organisations in and around Godhra that year. According to sources, the disbursal of relief funds and the on-going legal expenditures of some of the accused in the case are also under the scanner. The SIT, which is investigating the alleged torching of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express under IGP Shivanand Jha, has started questioning the family members of some of the key accused in this connection.The latest person questioned by the SIT was Saeed Umarji, son of Hussain Umarji, alias, Maulana Umarji, one of the alleged key conspirators of the carnage. Hussain is at present lodged in the Sabarmati Central Jail. Sources said that Saeed was questioned for over four hours on Wednesday. "He was questioned between 11.30 am and 2.00 pm and again from 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm. Saeed's final statement was read aloud in his presence before a video camera," sources added. While SIT officials remained tight-lipped on this, Saeed confirmed that he was grilled. "They (SIT investigators) were asking me about the source of relief funds raised by the Gujarat Sarvajanik Relief Committee for the riot victims at Godhra and whether it had actually provided monetarily help to the victims. I told them I knew nothing about the committee and its relief work in and around Godhra," he said. Saeed added: "They kept harassing me about the legal expenditures on my father's case. I told them that some of my relatives were helping me in this, but they did not look convinced."The SIT, according to sources, is also investigating some cases of alleged misappropriation of the state government's supplementary relief funds for victims by relief workers and voluntary organisations at Godhra. Sources said that no proper records of the disbursal of government relief aid had been maintained. Close to 1,500 displaced riot victims from different places in Panchmahals district, like Ajanwa near Santrampur, Natapur near Sant Roadd, Delol near Kalol and Randhikpur in Dahod district had taken refuge in the Godhra relief camp at Iqbal Primary School. The camp ran for over three months between March 5, 2002 and June 30, 2002. An officer in the Gujarat state directorate of relief said: "Supplementary relief, which included free ration and clothing and Rs 5 a day per victim was given by the state government for more than two months. This aid was disbursed through the district collector's office and implemented through NGOs and relief workers."Will BJP throw its weight behind Maya Kodnani?Will the Minister of State for Women, Child Development and Higher Education, Maya Kodnani, accused in the 2002 Naroda Gam riot case, be forced to resign by the BJP prior to appearing before the Special Investigation Team (SIT)? While none of the senior party members are ready to comment on it and her defiance of SIT summons, party sources said she was never considered to be close to the Narendra Modi camp.
