Top cop in charge of massacre zones was in touch with accused

• At 10.30 am on February 28, 2002, a mob began attacking the Muslim neighbourhood of Gulbarg Society, a few km from the police Commiss...

• At 10.30 am on February 28, 2002, a mob began attacking the Muslim neighbourhood of Gulbarg Society, a few km from the police Commissionerate. Houses were set on fire. Despite frantic calls from residents, help did not arrive. By the evening, 38 people had been burnt alive.

• At Naroda-Patiya, barely four km away, the attacks began at 11 am. The neighbourhood of poor migrant workers from UP and Karnataka continued to burn for a full nine hours. By then, 83 men, women and children had been killed, most of them burnt alive.

P B Gondia was the DCP in charge of both the areas—which together marked the most horrific day in the post-Godhra violence. His cellphone records show that Gondia spent a lot of time in areas outside his jurisdiction that reported little violence.

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And that he was in constant touch with the riot-accused, including Nimesh Patel who is accused in the Naroda killings. He was also in touch with accused Jaideep Patel, VHP’s Gujarat general secretary and local BJP MLA Maya Kodnani.

Kodnani, as yesterday’s report in The Indian Express showed, was in Naroda when the massacre was on, contrary to what she has claimed.

When asked why he was in touch with the riot-accused, Gondiya said: ‘‘There were several people calling me at that time. Now I do not know to whom all I spoke and about what.’’

Two CDs, now with the Nanavati-Shah Commission and obtained by the Crime Branch of the Gujarat police way back in April, contain records of all cellphone calls made in Ahmedabad from February 25, 2002, two days before the Sabarmati Express attack to March 4—five days that saw the worst communal violence in recent history.

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This staggering amount of data—there are more than 5 lakh entries—was analysed over several weeks by this newspaper. Using cellphone tower locations, the data also gives information on the geographic location of the caller and the person at the other end.

Excerpts from the cellphone records of DCP P B Gondia

FEBRUARY 28

	Shows state role, need for a CBI probe: Left & Cong

	• Prakash Karat (Senior Politburo member, CPM): The report strengthens the case for ensuring Central intervention, investigation by an agency like the CBI to pursue prosecution of the guilty. • Nilotpal Basu (CPM leader in RS): Let’s hope the prosecution will take note of these inputs. This expose strengthens the points we raised in Parliament that the state govt manipulated the violence. • Cong spokesman Anand Sharma: The BJP leadership owes an explanation on what action they propose to take in the light of the new evidence. BJP leaders can’t claim now they were not even present during rioting. • D Raja (CPI): It shows that without active connivance of the state government and the ruling party, such communal carnage could not have taken place in Gujarat. • Abani Roy (RSP): The Express investigation reveals to what extent the establishment was involved in the riots. It demands a more thorough probe.

• 10:39 am: Just as DCP (Zone IV) P B Gondia reaches Naroda area, he receives a call from Naroda BJP MLA Maya Kodnani. The call lasts 57 seconds.

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• 11:05 am: Gondia calls Joint Commissioner of Police M K Tandon’s office.

• 11.40 am: Gondia who is in Thakkarnagar, near Naroda, receives a call from VHP general secretary Jaideep Patel, who was accused of leading a mob in Naroda, and speaks for 86 seconds.

• 11:52 am: Gondia again receives call from Jaideep Patel and speaks for 107 seconds.

• 11:56 am: Gondia calls Tandon and immediately moves to Naroda area.

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• 12:20 pm: Gondia receives a call from Jaideep Patel again and speaks to him for 42 seconds.

• 12:35 pm: Gondia is in Meghaninagar area (Gulbarg Society) and returns to Naroda by 12:53 pm.

• 12:59 pm: Gondia calls the city police control room.

• Gondia remains in the Naroda area till 1:44 pm. At 1:53 pm he is in Meghaninagar area but leaves immediately and returns to Naroda. On the way at 1:57 pm, he gets a call from Tandon.

• 2:13 pm: Gondia is again in the Meghaninagar area from where he calls Nimesh Patel, an accused in the Naroda village killings. Fifteen minutes later Gondia is in Naroda.

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• 2.46 pm: Gondia goes back to Meghaninagar and calls ACP M T Rana. Within five minutes, he leaves for the Police Commissionerate and reaches there by 2:55 pm.

	RECALLING THE CALLING

	• You were in charge of the zone which saw the worst massacres. Why were you in touch with the riot-accused? Then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV) P B Gondia: ‘‘There were several people calling me at that time. Now, I do not know to whom all I spoke and about what. Also, I have not seen the telephone records and till I do so I cannot comment further. And there is always a possibility that someone might be using someone (else)’s cellphone. Now I cannot see their faces and so have to believe their identity as revealed verbally over the phone.’’

• 3.01 pm: Gondia receives a call from Nimesh Patel.

• 3.11 pm: Gondia has left the Police Commissionerate and heads for Revdi Bazaar, an area which does not fall under his jurisdiction, where little violence has been reported.