Godhra riots: ‘Khurshid Ahmed saved 700 Muslims’

Investigating the role of Khurshid Ahmed, then SRPF commandant in Naroda, in saving the lives of people, the SIT says in its report that Ahmed had actually sheltered around 700 Muslims in the barracks. It had been alleged that the commandant had not allowed Muslims to take shelter in SRPF barracks when the raging Hindu crowds were after them. 

The SIT report cites Ahmed's statement to the agency. He had told the SIT that in order to protect the already sheltered Muslims, the families of the SRPF personnel as well as the weapons of SRPF, other Muslims were not allowed into the ground as it could attract more angry Hindus to attack the SRPF ground.

SIT investigations revealed that Ahmed had, in fact, already sheltered around 600 to 700 Muslims in the ground immediately after the Hindu crowd attacked a Muslim locality in Naroda Patia. The investigations found that there was a large group of people trying to enter the SRPF ground and the number people asking for shelter kept increasing after the attack.

To protect those already given shelter, SRPF jawans were deployed at the gates to stop Hindu rioters from entering the ground. Along with them, more Muslims too were stopped from entering the SRPF ground because more people Muslims in the group would attract more angry Hindus, Ahmed told SIT. This would have put 600 to 700 Muslims and the SRPF families in danger.