SIT submits report to SC on post-Godhra violence

The five-member SIT constituted to re-investigate the post-Godhra communal riots submitted its preliminary report to the Supreme Court.

The five-member special investigation team (SIT) constituted to re-investigate the post-Godhra communal riots on Tuesday submitted its preliminary report to the Supreme Court.

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The confidential report was submitted through amicus curiae Harish Salve by the committee, which was constituted by the apex court in the wake of widespread criticism that the investigations were botched to shield the culprits.

These cases mainly related to the gruesome killings of minorities in places like Godhra, Gulmerg Society, Naroda Gaon, Naroda Patya, Sardarpura, ODH and Deepla Darwaza.

"They are doing a good job. Let us given them some more time," a three-judge bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam observed while granting time till December 31, 2008 to the SIT to complete its further investigations.

Apart from the three member panel of IPS officers of Gujarat-Geeta Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia, the team comprises two retired IPS officers from outside the state -- ex-CBI chief RK Raghavan and former UP IPS officer CV Satpathy.

In 2003, the NHRC had filed the petition for transfer of the case and trial outside Gujarat expressing fears that it would not be conducted in a fair and transparent manner due to the hostile environment encountered by the witnesses, most of whom had turned hostile due to apparent threats and inducements.

The apex court constituted the SIT on March 25 this year while dealing with the NHRC petition.