Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad, June 29 (PTI): Telephone records and logbooks with details of movement of vehicles and intelligence bureau officers during the 2002 riots were destroyed in 2007, the Gujarat government said today.

S.B. Vakil, the government counsel before the Nanavati Commission probing the riots, said that according to government rules, records are destroyed after five years.

“As per general government rules, the telephone call records, vehicle logbook and the officers’ movement diary are destroyed after a certain period,” Vakil said.

Vakil’s revelation came after a heated exchange he had with IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt while questioning him.

Bhatt was summoned for questioning by the commission after he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court alleging that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi had instructed officers to allow Hindus “to vent their anger” during the riots that broke out after the torching of Sabarmati Express in February 2002. Bhatt alleged that Modi had said he wanted Muslims to be “taught a lesson”.

Bhatt had filed an application before the commission in May, seeking a directive to the government and the intelligence bureau to provide him with records and documents pertaining to the period of riots.

The government counsel said Bhatt, who was a deputy commissioner of the state intelligence bureau in 2002, knew the rule that such records are destroyed after a certain period. Despite that, he was asking for the records through various direct and indirect representations. “Bhatt knows that the records are not available and despite that, he is asking for them,” Vakil said after the hearing today.

Earlier, there was a heated argument between Bhatt and Vakil during the proceedings.

Vakil asked Bhatt to name other deputy commissioners of police who were on duty in the city on February 27, 2002 — the day the Godhra train was set on fire. To this, Bhatt said the answer was already in government records.

Bhatt repeatedly gave similar answers to other questions posed by the government counsel.

This sparked a heated exchange of words between the two. “Right from the day you made the affidavit (in the Supreme Court) you crossed your limit,” Vakil told Bhatt.

The lawyer also complained to the commission that the IPS officer was not answering questions properly, to which the panel said it was his right to reply the way he wants.

Bhatt also had arguments with G.T. Nanavati, who heads the commission, during the questioning.

When Vakil asked Bhatt if IPS officer E. Radhakrishnan was the deputy inspector-general in the state intelligence bureau on February 27, 2002, he said he was posted as the police commissioner of Gandhinagar.

Bhatt then told the panel that a minority finance development corporation office, on the Old Secretariat campus, was burnt down right under Radhakrishnan’s nose and he had reported against him.

On this, Justice Nanavati interrupted Bhatt and told him to give information only about what he was asked.

“Do not bring other matters into the public domain,” Nanavati said.

Bhatt replied that the panel should be interested in more details of the case as it was inquiring into the riots of 2002.

“The commission has to be impartial on its part. Such a thing from the state government is understandable but not from the commission,” the IPS officer said.

As the sharp exchange of words continued, Bhatt told Nanavati at one point: “Don’t mess with me.”

The commission said it would make a note that on the one hand Bhatt was avoiding answering questions, while on the other, the officer was giving information not related to the queries.

Bhatt’s questioning will continue on July 9.