Ahmedabad: Citing recent murder of Nadeem Saiyed, a key witness in the 2002 Gujarat riots case, former DGP R B Sreekumar has sought revitalisation of Witness Protection Scheme (WPS) for witnesses in post-Godhra communal riots cases and suggested formation of the Special Threat Assessment Team (STAT) for the purpose.
In a letter to R K Raghavan, Chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing some of the riots cases, Mr Sreekumar has suggested that the STAT should consist of competent and upright senior police officers. Inputs from the Central IB, perhaps, had not been taken into account periodically, while designing WPS.
Terming the murder of Nadeem here on November 5 as a major setback to WPS, ordered by the Supreme Court, Mr Sreekumar said “this ghastly incident has sent shock waves among other witnesses in numerous cases of anti-minority genocide in 2002 besides exacerbating the fear complex among the riot victim survivors”.
The former DGP said after Nadeem’s murder, higher magnitude of panic-stricken anxiety about their safety and security is voiced by witnesses, who have provided evidence to SIT against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 62 other accused persons, figuring in the complaint filed by Ms Ahsan Jafri, widow of former Congress MP killed by rioters and Ms Teesta Setalvad, Secretary, Citizens for Justice and Peace, an NGO.
Sreekumar has made several suggestions to the SIT Chairman and State DGP Chittaranjan Singh for urgent action for revitalization of WPS.
Sreekumar alleged that the state government was trying to hamper the probe into the riots cases by influencing witnesses, either through persuasion or intimidation.
Pointing out that the assassination of former Home Minister Haren Pandya and RTI activists Amit Jethwa and Nadeem Saiyed could be deemed to be part of a well designed strategy by those peopleL whose interests will be affected by the posture of above persons.
He said “these factors must have prompted the apex court to call Gujarat bureaucracy as ‘Modern Neros’ in Criminal Appeal No 446-449 dated April 12, 2004.
Recent media reports about inadequacy of security to Sanjiv Bhatt, suspended DIG, is an illustrative case, he said.
Citing some of the witnesses, he alleged that the policemen detailed for the security of witnesses are keener to know the protected persons’ movements and have shown less diligence in their security.
No periodical monitoring of the security system for witnesses was being carried out, he pointed out. (UNI)