Based on investigation by the Special Investigation Team(SIT) under SC

Reference: Modi Nama* & NitiCentral

Presentation: Vishnu Prakash Nangath

* By

Madhu Kishwar

INTRODUCTION
The investigations in post-Godhra riots of 2002 have been primarily handled by the SIT (Special Investigation Team) set up by the Supreme Court on March 26, 2008, headed by former CBI Chief RK Raghavan. The SIT, after examining a plethora of evidence like call logs, locations of various officials through cell towers, video evidence, testimonies, eyewitnesses, PCR records, intelligence inputs, Army logs, depositions of Ministers (including the Chief Minister Narendra Modi) came to the conclusion that Narendra Modi had no role in the riots of 2002 post-Godhra riots and submitted a closure report in the Supreme Court to that effect in February 2012.

Read Now - IMPORTANT FINDINGS IN S.I.T REPORT >>

On 27th February 2002

FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

February 27, 2002 - 9:00 AM : The Sabarmati Express carrying Kar Sevaks from
Ayodhya to Ahmedabad was set on fire by a mob from outside as it left the Godhra Station.

Findings of Nanavati Commission(Accepted by SIT):

A pre-planned conspiracy - huge mob of people had made arrangements an evening in advance to that effect, buying jerry cans and filling them with inflammable material etc.
The court accepted the findings - 11 men given death sentences and 20-to-life imprisonments. News link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/11-get-death-in-godhra-train-burningcase/article1500325.ece

On 27th February 2002

FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi got the news at 9:00 am on February 27, 2002 from Ashok Narayan (Additional Chief Secretary, Home). 10:30 am - Modi held a meeting with Goardan Zadafia (MoS, Home), Ashok Narayan (ACS), DGP Police, PC Pande CP Ahmadabad. Immediate directions given by Chief Minister ~ No culprits be allowed to escape. ~ Medical aid be given to all surviving passengers and curfew be declared in Godhra and nearby areas to avoid untoward incidents of communal violence. ~ All senior officials and extra force be sent to Godhra. After addressing the Gujarat Assembly, he reached Godhra at 4:30 pm.

On 27th February 2002

FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

Preventive Measures from Home department in first alert message of 27 Feb, 2002 Adequate police bandobast and preventive measures, including instructions to impose prohibitory orders in disturbed areas given.
All Police Commissioners, District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police directed to remain in the headquarters and monitor the situation.

1.

2.

Request made to the Government of India to provide 10 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces in addition to 4 companies of Rapid Action Force. 217 preventive arrests made- 137 were Hindus and 80 were Muslims.

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Entire police force of 6000 deployed in sensitive areas of Gujarat on the very first day. The Army alerted on Feb 27 itself - but not available due to Operation Parakram in the wake of the Parliament attack.

5.

On 28th February 2002

FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

Request for additional security forces made to then Congress-ruled States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra by Gujarat Government on February 28 but were

refused.

Seeing the situation go out of control on February 28, Modi called an emergency meeting at 1 pm when he called then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to deploy the Army and a fax to that effect was sent to the Defence Ministry by 2:30 pm. Army troops airlifted in 40 aircraft from the border and started landing in Ahmedabad by midnight deployment under supervision of Defence Minister George Fernandes.

Shoot-at-sight orders issued by the Gujarat Government.

A call for calm and restraint and harmony was made by the Gujarat Chief Minister on Doordarshan and a Press release issued to that effect.

On 1st March 2002

FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

8:30 am - Requested Defence Ministry for the deployment of paramilitary forces and BSF. Five companies of paramilitary forces were subsequently deployed. Also by evening, the Army was fully deployed within 24 hours of the start of riots.

Modi met the Governor, issued instructions for safe passage to Haj pilgrims.

Met a delegation of Congress leaders - assured them of the best possible help in the situation. Convened meetings, announced compensation for victims, discussed relief packages for camps being run by NGOs and gave directions for essential medical care including hospitals and other services to be provided to people in the riot-affected areas.

FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

OTHER FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

There were reports that the victims bodies of Godhra train carnage were paraded in Ahmedabad to create violence.

The said allegations have been dismissed by the SIT, holding that victims bodies were transported late at night around 3 am to a hospital on the outskirts of Ahmedabad so that no one could see them. Many of the victims belonged to Ahmedabad so the bodies were handed over to their families early morning after Panchnamas.

OTHER FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

After examining the PCR Records of various PCR and Commissioners of Police, the SIT came to the conclusion that all efforts were made to save Ehsaan Jafri, (the Congress MP Killed in the riots) by the police and as per call logs, no calls were made to Commissioner of Police Ahmedabad or any other official.

Regarding the action-reaction theory quoted by media in the name of Narendra Modi, the SIT has said the said statement was quoted out of context even though Modi never justified violence. He later issued a clarification to the distortion, which was published in newspapers days later.

OTHER FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

Modi never told the police to go slow and allow the violence for Hindus to vent their anger as IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt later claimed. The statement has been held to be fiction or imagination, as Bhatt was not present in the meeting on February 27 as per the records and call logs.

As per official reports of Government of India in 2005, 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus died in the riots, 223 were missing and nearly 80,000 Hindus and 18,000 Muslims were taken into preventive police custody during the days of rioting.

OTHER FINDINGS BY SPECIAL INVESTIGATION TEAM

To conclude, there are many facets of the SIT report which point to the fact that though 2002 was a sad chapter in the history of India, unlike many massacres and riots in the country since independence like 1984, Delhi; Nellie massacre; Hashimpura (Meerut); Bhagalpur etc. the 2002 riots were controlled within 48 hours with swift and effective action.

Narendra Modi Government, as per the SITs findings, took all preventive actions it could to control the riots effectively.

THANK YOU.

- VISHNU PRAKASH NANGATH