The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any order to stay the implementation of Nanavati Commission report on Godhra fire carnage and subsequent communal riots in 2002 in Gujarat.
An NGO, Citizen for Justice and Peace, had filed a petition seeking to restrain Gujarat Government from circulating and publishing the report contending that the Commission was not authorised to give its report in parts.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, however, said that there was no bar on the Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act to give a preliminary report.
The Court said it would consider the grievances of the petitioner only after getting the response from the State government.
The petitioner had claimed that the publication of the report by the Commission headed by Justice Nanavati, a retired apex court judge, would provide a ground to the state government to take a liberal stand against the accused in the post-Godhra riots of 2002 that claimed over 1,000 lives.
While seeking a stay on the circulation of the report, the NGO run by social activist Teesta Setalvad had referred to another report on the incident prepared by a Committee headed by Justice U C Banerjee, a retired Supreme Court judge.
{{/usCountry}}While seeking a stay on the circulation of the report, the NGO run by social activist Teesta Setalvad had referred to another report on the incident prepared by a Committee headed by Justice U C Banerjee, a retired Supreme Court judge.
{{/usCountry}}The Justice Banerjee Committee set up by the Lalu Prasad-headed Railway Ministry had concluded that the burning of S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express at Godhra was purely an accident.
However, after the report was leaked the Gujarat High Court had stayed the Banerjee Committee report. An appeal against the order has been pending in the Supreme Court.