Justice Nanavati Commission gets 24th extension

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Government today granted yet another extension of one month till October 31 to the Justice Nanavati Commission, the 24th since it was set up, probing the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

"The Nanavati Commission has today sent their proposal seeking one-month extension till October 31, which was granted by the Gujarat Government," state Law Secretary VP Patel told PTI.

This is the 24th extension granted to the commission by state government, which is reportedly in the final stages of preparing a report and may submit it after a month.

Earlier in August, the panel was given the 23rd extension till today. The commission comprises Justices (retd) GT Nanavati and Akshay Mehta.

In 2008, the inquiry panel had submitted one part of its finding with regard to the Godhra train burning incident concluding that the burning of S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express near Godhra railway station was a "planned conspiracy".

The commission had been constituted by the state government on March 3, 2002 under the Commission of Inquiry Act, comprising Justice K G Shah in the wake of Godhra train carnage on February 27, 2002 and the subsequent communal riots across the state.

Initially, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the panel were to inquire into the facts, circumstances and the course of events that led to the burning of the S-6 bogie.

In May 2002, the state government appointed the Supreme Court Justice (retd) G T Nanavati as the chairman of the commission and the TOR were further amended in June 2002, as per which the panel was also asked to inquire into the incidents of violence that took place after the Godhra incident.

In 2008, after the death of Justice K G Shah, retired high court judge Akshay Mehta was appointed as member of the panel.