State Says Documents Bhatt Sought Lost ‘In Routine Course’
Ahmedabad: The state government finally admitted that some documents related to the 2002 riots have been destroyed. However, it has claimed that those documents were destroyed “in routine course”.
The government submitted this before the Nanavati commission that probes the 2002 riots. Last month, a senior counsel representing the state government claimed that many documents, particularly those lying with the state intelligence department, were either lost or destroyed. He also claimed that suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt knew that these were lost, and was therefore demanding them.
Bhatt had been demanding certain documents for the last two years. When denied, he moved Gujarat high court last month, which permitted him to inspect them. The government also assured the court that it would supply those documents to the probe panel, where Bhatt could inspect them.
When he did not find all 47 documents that he had demanded, Bhatt cried foul. The government and the commission denied him access to certain documents that are marked confidential.
However, on Friday, the commission passed an order on Bhatt’s application alleging that the HC order was not followed and the government did not supply documents.
In this order, the commission referred to a letter received on October 18 from State Intelligence Bureau chief’s office mentioning, “Some of the documents of which inspection has been sought have been destroyed in routine course and therefore they are now not available to be produced before this commission”.
The government submitted this before the Nanavati commission that probes the 2002 riots. Last month, a senior counsel representing the state government claimed that many documents, particularly those lying with the state intelligence department, were either lost or destroyed. He also claimed that suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt knew that these were lost, and was therefore demanding them.
Bhatt had been demanding certain documents for the last two years. When denied, he moved Gujarat high court last month, which permitted him to inspect them. The government also assured the court that it would supply those documents to the probe panel, where Bhatt could inspect them.
When he did not find all 47 documents that he had demanded, Bhatt cried foul. The government and the commission denied him access to certain documents that are marked confidential.
However, on Friday, the commission passed an order on Bhatt’s application alleging that the HC order was not followed and the government did not supply documents.
In this order, the commission referred to a letter received on October 18 from State Intelligence Bureau chief’s office mentioning, “Some of the documents of which inspection has been sought have been destroyed in routine course and therefore they are now not available to be produced before this commission”.
