Witness protection top priority: SIT chief

R K RAGHAVAN,the chief of Special Investigation Team SIT appointed by the Supreme Court,on Tuesday said his top priority would be to provide protection to the witnesses who wanted to give their testimony in special fast-track courts to be set up in Gujarat for conducting trial of the 2002 riot cases as directed by the apex court.

The SITs highest priority will be the witness protection,for which an innovative plan may be chalked out soon. I would like to assure all the witnesses that they will be duly protected so that they can depose before the courts without any fear, Raghavan told mediapersons at the SIT headquarters here. Ill do something in this area that will set an example for future for other investigating agencies in the country. I need medias cooperation in this.

The atmosphere here in Gujarat seems to be conducive for a fair trial into the 2002 riots, he said,adding the SITs

another priority would be to trace the absconding offenders allegedly involved in the Gujarat riots.