SIT chief tut-tutted on Narendra Modi’s role even in 2010

The inexplicably lenient stand of SIT chief RK Raghavan on the question of chief minister Narendra Modi's alleged role in the 2002 riots is evident even in his review comments submitted before the Apex Court on May 14, 2010.

In his comments, he acknowledges lapses by the chief minister but he does not find them sufficient ground for further investigation.

The comments were prepared by Raghavan after the probe team submitted its report in the Supreme Court on May 14, 2010, on the investigation done by SIT member AK Malhotra. As chairman of the SIT, Raghavan gave his comments on various allegations made against Modi and others.

Regarding Modi's interview to a television channel in which the chief minster had said that some elements in Godhra had a 'criminal tendency', Raghavan says that the statement was 'sweeping' and 'offensive'.

"But taking an overall view of this statement and his subsequent appeals for peace, it is difficult to opine that Shri Modi's intention was to provoke Hindu feelings against the Muslim community," Raghavan says in his comment.

He further observed that his statement accusing some elements in Godhra as possessing a 'criminal tendency', was "sweeping and offensive coming as it was from a chief minister and that, too, at a critical time when Hindu-Muslim tempers were running high."

Further, in his comment on the charge that Modi had not issued orders against the bandh call given by Hindu organizations, the SIT chief said the allegation was true as per the admission of the state home department.

He also showed surprise at Modi immediately going to Godhra where 59 karsevaks were charred to death on February 27, 2002 but not visiting the riot-affected areas for 5-6 days. Regarding the charge that pro-VHP public prosecutors had been appointed for riot cases, the SIT chief found that some such appointments had taken place despite the transparent procedure prescribed. Earlier, Some appointees were in fact politically connected, either to the ruling party or to organizations sympathetic to it, he commented.

Most significantly, Raghavan doubted Modi on the presence of former ministers IK Jadeja and Ashok Bhatt in the city and state police control rooms where they had allegedly interfered with police work. "Although there is no evidence that this was directly at the instance of chief minister Narendra Modi, the fact that he was the cabinet minister for home would heighten the suspicion that the decision had his blessings," Raghavan said. In his concluding remarks in the review report, Raghavan commented that the SIT should further enquire into the role of the then minister of state for home Gordhan Zadafia over his phone calls to the accused of the Naroda Patiya massacre. In its final report submitted before the Supreme Court last year, the SIT chief exonerated Modi of all charges.