Ahmedabad, Nov. 19: The commission probing the Gujarat riots today decided to summon the secretary of the Justice U.C. Banerjee Committee for its “reluctance” to share vital documents and reports on the train fire that sparked the violence three years ago.

The decision came on a day the Narendra Modi-led state government extended the term of the Nanavati-Shah commission by six months till June 2006.

The Banerjee committee, set up last year to probe the fire in coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002, had refused to part with the documents, saying “the voluminous records weighing over 25 kg could not be sent”.

Fifty-nine people were killed in the Godhra fire, triggering the riots that claimed over a thousand lives.

“It is difficult to appreciate that the committee has not been able to provide the said documents,” retired judge G.T. Nanavati, who heads the Nanavati-Shah inquiry commission, said.

The Banerjee committee had sent a copy of the interim report but not several other documents, which the inquiry panel had sought. Voicing his displeasure, Justice Nanavati said the commission has been “compelled to issue summons to the secretary of the high-powered Banerjee committee to produce the documents and reports before December 9”.

In this age of sophisticated technology, the commission added, the argument that the documents cannot be copied is “ridiculous”.

The Banerjee panel’s terms of reference were to find out the cause of the fire, fix responsibilities and recommend measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Advocate Mukul Sinha of the Jansangharsh Manch, an NGO representing riot victims, said the Nanavati commission should write to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s secretary to inform it whether the President intends to produce the letters the late President K.R. Narayanan wrote to then Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on the riots. The Centre has so far refused to hand over the letters.

“The commission should also try to obtain the President’s decision in this regard. And if the President is not inclined to produce the documents, he should be asked to explain why,” Sinha told the commission.

Sinha also said as the state government has broadened the scope of the panel, it should direct all the ministers and MLAs against whom allegations have been made to file affidavits explaining their conduct during the riots.

Modi, Ashok Bhatt, I.K. Jadeja, Govardhan Zadaphia and Mayaben Kodnani, MLA from Naroda Patiya, one of the worst riot-hit areas, should be specifically directed to file affidavits, Sinha’s application to the commission said.

Sources in the state home department said the Nanavati commission had cited heavy workload as the reason for seeking an extension and six more months has been given to finish its work.

The commission’s term was scheduled to expire on December 5. This is the fourth extension it has sought since it was set up in March 2002, the sources added.

The two retired judges have over 40,000 affidavits of riot victims, policemen and government officials to go through.