After almost 12 years and 25 extensions, ultimately Nanavati Commission submitted its final report to the Gujarat Chief Minister on Tuesday. The Commission was constituted on March 6, 2002 to probe into the train carnage incident at Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002 and post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. Earlier, the Commission had submitted first part of the report in the year 2008.
The final report is likely to be tabled in Gujarat Assembly during the Budget Session next year in February. The first part of the report that was handed over by the Commission to the former Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in September 2008 was also tabled in Gujarat Assembly. In fact, the apex court refused to retrain report from circulating and publishing and as result of it, the Gujarat Government put full text of the first part of the report on its website.
Originally the two-member commission comprised Justice GT Nanavati (Retired) and Justice KG Shah (Retired). However, after the death of Justice Shah in the year 2008, Justice Akshay Mehta (Retired) was appointed to assist Justice Nanavati. Since then the Nanavati-Shah Commission used to call as Nanavati-Mehta Commission. Initially, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Commission were to enquire into facts, circumstances and course of events that led to the burning of the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express. The TOR was further amended in June 2002 and the Commission was also asked to inquire the incidents of violence that took place after the Godhra train incident.
In fact, Nanavati-Shah Commission had submitted the 176 page first part of the report to the then Gujarat Chief Minster and current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in September 2008. The report to the incident of burning the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002, in which 59 Hindu pilgrims were charred to death has already been submitted by the Commission. It termed the burning of train incident as pre-planned. The Commission also gave clean chit to Chief Minister saying that there was absolutely no evidence against him in its first report.
“There is absolutely no evidence to show that either the Chief Minister and/or any other Minister(s) in his Council of Ministers or Police officers had played any role in the Godhra incident or that there was any lapse on their part in the matter of providing protection, relief and rehabilitation to the victims of communal riots or in the matter of not complying with the recommendations and directions given by National Human Rights Commission,” the first reported said.
The report said that there was no evidence regarding involvement of any definite religious or political organiaation.
Since its appointment, Nanavati Commission remained in news for various reasons and submissions done before it by various police officers including former Gujarat top cop RB Shreekumar and IPS officer Rahul Sharma. The CD containing the call details of the political leaders and some of the top Gujarat cops also created headlines. As a result of the said CD and call detail, former women and child welfare minister in Modi government Maya Kodnani was arrested and jailed in the infamous Naroda Patiya case.