Naroda massacre probe headless, again

With the Ahmedabad ACP (Crime) A K Surolia being sent on deputation to the Border Security Force, a question mark hangs over the investigati...

With the Ahmedabad ACP (Crime) A K Surolia being sent on deputation to the Border Security Force, a question mark hangs over the investigation of the Naroda Patia and Gulbarg Society massacres. Surolia was supervising the investigation which was handed over to the Crime Branch only about a fortnight ago.

Both massacres took place on February 28. While more than 90 persons were killed in Naroda Patia, 38 persons, including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, were killed in Gulbarg Society and 12 are still missing.

In the Naroda Patia case, 22 have been arrested but not Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi, named in the FIR. In the Gulbarg massacre, 18 arrests have taken place. Local BJP leader Deepak Patel, named in the FIR, is still free.

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Surolia’s transfer comes when the 90-day deadline for filing the chargesheet is just 12 days away and his successor has not been named. It is learnt that Surolia has been selected from four officers who were on the offer list for deputation. The others included Ashish Bhatia, Satish Sharma, and Geeta Johri.

When contacted, Surolia said: ‘‘It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other, it’s for the Government to decide.’’ Neither Minister of State for Home Gordhan Zadaphia, nor Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ashok Narayan was available for comment despite several attempts. Sources said the offer of deputation was sent to the Centre before the Godhra massacre. CM’s security adviser K P S Gill said the State Government was not bound to consult him on the transfer. He also refused to discuss the merits of the transfer saying: ‘‘I don’t know the details, for I am not seeing investigations. I am into peace-making.’’

However, Gill said: ‘‘Change of an officer can’t affect investigations. The arrest of the accused is important, not who does it.’’ Both cases have been handled in a most casual manner right from the beginning. Initially, the local police was handling the investigation. After some time, Assistant Commissioner P N Barot, whose jurisdiction did not include either Naroda Patia or Gulbarg Society, was entrusted with the investigation.

Barot started with questioning the local police’s action in naming Bajrang Dal and BJP men in the FIRs, but the then Police Commissioner P C Pande defended his decision, saying Barot was ‘‘a good investigator’’. About a fortnight ago, the investigation was taken over from Barot and given to the Crime Branch. Now Surolia has been transferred.