The centre has favoured a CBI investigation into cases related to the Godhra incident and the subsequent riots in 2002 and supported the stand of the NHRC and some NGOs to transfer the cases outside Gujarat for free and fair trial. “ The Centre submits that it would have no objection to the investigation of the cases by the CBI and transfer outside Gujarat,” it said in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in response to the petitions listed for hearing on Tuesday.
According to a report, the Centre was responding to a bunch of petitions filed by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and various NGOs, expressing apprehensions that the victims may not get justice if the cases were allowed to remain with the state authorities.
The Centre in its support pointed out various instances, including the top court’s previous orders, which suggested that the state machinery was not impartial. The petitions have been filed for the 13 cases arising from five incidents of riots in Godhra, Naroda Patia, Gulbarg Society, Sadarpura and Ode in 2002. However, the Gujarat government has opposed the transfer of the cases outside the state questioning the locus standi of NHRC and the criminal litigation by way of PIL.