UNTOLD STORY OF GUJARAT RIOTS
FRANTIC POLICE WARNINGS OF RIOTS IGNORED
2002 WASN'T SUDDEN, SPONTANEOUS BACKLASH
:By Ashish Khetan
In the past 10 years, the Gujarat government and senior BJP leaders have often said that the riots that broke out in the state in February 2012 were an 'instantaneous reaction' to the carnage at Godhra. The Chief Minister himself in an interview to Zee News on March 1, 2002 had said, 'what we are witnessing in Gujarat at this time is a chain of action and reaction. We want that there neither be action nor reaction.'
But now Headlines Today has uncovered the police control room messages and the state intelligence bureau reports which show that the police had received a constant stream of inputs from its field officers about VHP leaders making provocative speeches, about crowds being mobilized and warnings about the possibility of major riots breaking out. Despite the flurry of ground reports and advance warnings, no curfew was imposed in Ahmedabad till noon the next day. The BJP Government supported the VHP called bandhs that, as events turned out, proved to be the pretext under which violent mobs were mobilized. VHP leaders were not warned or put under preventive detention.
But the most intriguing aspect of these messages is that while they have been produced before the court as annexures, they don't find any mention in the 541 page closure report filed by the SIT. No attempt has been made by the SIT to reconstruct the sequence of events as they unfolded immediately after the news of Sabarmati train incident broke. The SIT did not assess the adequacy or appropriateness of the State's response in a chronological fashion as the law and order collapsed in large parts of the state.
Perhaps, that's the reason that the facts that emerge from these messages are hard to reconcile with the conclusions drawn by the SIT.
There were two centralised police control rooms in Ahmedabad in 2002 — Ahmedabad Police Control Room situated at Shahibaug in the heart of the city. Naroda and Gulberg Society, where around 150 people were burnt to death on the 28th of February lay within a radius of 6 KMs from this Police Control Room 9Gulber was 2 to 3 kms from the control room while Naroda was roughly six kilometers).
The second one -- the State Police Control Room -- located at Police Bhawan in Gandhinagar.
The Ahmedabad Police Control Room received messages of the build up taking place in Ahmedabad City. The State Control Room got messages from different districts in the state.
In February 2012 the SIT submitted before an Ahmedabad court, in a sealed cover, only the Ahmedabad City PCR messages... a copy of these are now with Headlines Today. The State Control Room messages are still missing.
There was also a third control room...this was at the State Intelligence Bureau Headquarters situated inside Police Bhawan, Gandhinagar...the same building where the State DGP's office is located. The SIB Control Room was also flooded with field intelligence reports filed by its intelligence units located across the State including Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. These SIB reports too have been submitted before the Court by the SIT. A copy of these too are now in the possession of Headlines Today.
By the afternoon of February 27, the Gujarat home department was being bombarded with messages from cops on the ground about mobilisation of VHP and Bajrang Dal cadre.
Rightwing activists across the state were holding public meetings, making provocative speeches and inciting mobs. All this is documented in hundreds of wireless messages sent by policemen to the state intelligence bureau. But the State failed to take any effective steps to prevent the imminent massacres. Within a few hours after the Godhra tragedy, the three senior-most office bearers of Gujarat's VHP unit —Jaideep Patel, Dilep Trivedi and Kaushik Patel-- issued a statement declaring a state wide bandh and containing remarks that were designed to incite the mobs.
A field level officer faxed this statement to SIB headquarters at 20:38 hours on the 27 Feb 2002.
Feb 27, 2002
Time: 8:38 pm
State Intelligence Bureau Message No: Page No. 188 (Annexure III, File XVIII)
+ VHP gen secy Dilip Trivedi & VHP joint secretaries Jaideep Patel & Kaushik Mehta issue a statement.
+ VHP declares bandh
+ Gujarat bandh to protest killing of kar sevaks Statement says Muslims
+ pre-planned Godhra attack
+ Innocent ladies were molested and compartments were set on fire and Ramsevaks were burnt alive.
Through out the day on 27th February the SIB control room received messages of provocative sloganeering and mobilisation by the VHP.
Feb 27, 2002
Time: Not Known
State Intelligence Bureau Message No: Page No. 345, Order No. 24 (Annexure III File XIX)
Sender: D.O, Ahmedabad
Recipient: Intelligence Office, Virangam (Ahmedabad)
+ 75 VHP & Bajrang Dal members gathered at Virangam Town Chali & Golwada
+ area Situation in the area very tense
The PCR messages warned about the tension that was spreading from the moment sabarmati express (the same train that was attacked by Muslim mobs at Godhra and later after detaching the burnt bogies made its way to Ahmedabad) arrived at Ahmedabad station.
Feb 27, 2002
Time: 6:10 pm
State Intelligence Bureau Message: No. 531 Page No. 19 (Annexure III, File XVIII (D-160)
+ Sabarmati Exp arrived at Ahmedabad station from Godhra at 4:30pm Kar
+ sevaks armed with rods & sticks, shouting slogans 'khoon ka badla khoon'
At 10.12 PM, Police Inspector of CID, Intelligence in Bhavnagar sent a fax to Inspector General, Gujarat State Intelligence Bureau in Gandhi Nagar saying that Sadhu Samaj president Gopal Nand and local VHP leaders exhorted crowds at Junagadh to retaliate. The message said that the VHP leaders delivered hate speeches and called on all Hindus to unite.
Feb 27, 2002
Time: 10:12 pm
State Intelligence Bureau Fax Message: 311/02 Page No.: D-1/ HA/Jaher Sabha/Junagadh
Sender: CID, Bhavnagar
Recipient: IG, Gujarat & Intelligence Bureau, Gandhi Nagar
+ Sadhu Samaj president Gopal Nand gave provocative speech at Junagadh
+ Kadva Chowk between 7.30pm-9pm Gopal Nand questioned lack of response
+ from Hindus even 12 hours after burning of train Gopal Nand questioned
+ Muslim patriotism to India and incited mobs to attack them
By the afternoon of the 27th, the riots had begun.
Feb 27, 2002 Time 17:45 State Intelligence Bureau Fax Message No 273 File XIX Annexure III Sender: B M Mohit Anand Centre
+ Sabarmati Express reached Anand Railway Station at 1500 hrs Karsevaks
+ from the train stabbed 4 Muslims present at the station One victim
+ named Abdul Rashid aged 65 years, resident of Anand, died The
+ remaining were hospitalized at Anand government hospital.
Reports of violent attacks by karsevaks came from across the State. A VHP mob was reported as swelling at Vadagam village in Modasa..that was to become another epicentre of violence. There were desperate SOS messages seeking reinforcements. Mobs were on rampage through the night, setting ablaze houses and vehicles.
Feb 27, 2002
Time: 11:59 pm
State Intelligence Bureau Fax Message: Com/HM/550/ Out No. 398
Sender: ACP, Gandhinagar Region
Recipient: IG, Gujarat & Intelligence Bureau, Gandhi Nagar
+ 50 kar sevaks on special bus from Ahmedabad reached Modasa, Vadagam
+ village at 6:30 pm 500-strong mob received kar sevaks Kar sevaks told
+ mobs about attack on Sabarmati Express Crowds swelled to thousands by
+ 9:30pm Police presence insufficient to maintain order 10 shops owned
+ by Muslims & several vehicles set ablaze by mobs
END GFX
Despite these warnings there was no clampdown by the Gujarat Government on the mobilisation being carried out by the VHP leadership and neither were VHP and Bajrang Dal members taken under preventive detention.
The Speical Investigation Team in its report accepted that the Modi Govt supported the bandh called by the VHP.
Page 134 of SIT closure report: "Shri Vijay Badheka, Under Secretary to Home Department has stated before the SIT that both Gujarat bandh on 28.02.02 and Bharat bandh on 01.03.02 were supported by the BJP."
The bandh allowed the VHP cadre a free run even as the SIB kept sending signals of impending riots and sought preventive action.
TAKE GFX:
HEADER: DECODING THE GUJARAT RIOTS
SUBHEAD: NEVER BEFORE SEEN DOCUMENTS
Feb 28, 2002
Time: 9am-10am
State Intelligence Bureau Message No: 73/02 Page 365 (Annexure III File XXI (D-166)
Sender: ACP (Intelligence) Surat
+ VHP, BJP leaders gave provocative speeches at Sardar Chowk, Vapi Town
+ VHP's Dinesh Behri, Bajrang Dal's Acharya Brahmbatt, BJP's Jawahar
+ Desai & RSS member Vinod Chowdhary present Speakers exhorted crowds to
+ take revenge for Godhra
END GFX
When the Ahmedabad police commissioner PC Pande and State DGP K Chakravarty were questioned by the SIT, they were not confronted with these specific SIB reports. P C Pande was not asked why curfew was not imposed in Ahmedabad city on the 27th afternoon itself, particularly in the face of such specific intelligence inputs.
Pande told SIT on page 7 of his statement recorded on 24.03.2010: "The circumstances did not exist on the 27.02.02 or even on 28.02.02 to warrant the imposition of curfew and any hasty decision would have led to panic in the city. Even otherwise with limited forces available imposition of curfew becomes a serious problem and large scale breach becomes common."
Pande and Chakravarty were also not asked why VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders were not put under preventive arrest even as they were threatening violence.
But the SIT has not explained what were these specific measures. General and vague claims made by Gujarat State Officials that all possible efforts were made to control the riots have been accepted by the SIT.
The State Intelligence Bureau repeatedly pressed the panic button, sending SOS' to the home department about the possibility of riots. Bodies of kar sevaks in public display and funeral processions by mobs…proved to be the trigger. But records show the VHP and its cadres succeeded in stoking mass hysteria.
30 minutes past midnight on the 28th of February 2002, the state intelligence bureau received a fax giving a specific warning about possibility of riots with bodies being brought to Ahmedabad. Then VHP state unit president Jaideep Patel was already on his way escorting the 54 bodies from Godhra to Ahmedabad.
GFX HEADER: THE RIOT TINDERBOX
SUBHEAD: CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE
Feb 28, 2002
Time: 12:30 am
State Intelligence Bureau Fax No. 525
+ Bodies will be brought to Kalupur Railway station, Ahmedabad Dead
+ Bodies will be carried in funeral processions VHP gave a bandh call
+ High possibility of riots in Ahmedabad. Take preventive action
Feb 28, 2002. Time: Not Known State Intelligence Bureau report to Home Secreetary and All Police Commissioner, All SPs +VHP has given a call for "Gujarat Bandh"
+ Appropriate vigilance be exercised.
The motorcade carrying bodies finally reached Sola Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad at 3:34 AM. By then there was a already a mob made up of VHP and RSS members outside Sola Hospital.
The PCR Van positioned at Sola Civil Hospital sent a message to City Police Control Room situated at Shaibaug. The distance between Hospital and Control Room was 11 kilometres.
GFX HEADER: THE RIOT TINDERBOX
SUBHEAD: STATE INTELLIGENCE BUREAU REPORTS Feb 28, 2002
Time: 4:00 am
Page No. 5790 (Annexure IV, File XIV)
+ Mob of 3000 RSS members gathered at Sola Hospital.
Feb 28, 2002
Time: 7:14 am
PCR wireless message (Sola Hospital)
Page No. 5796 (Annexure IV, File XIV)
+ Mob assembled at Sola Hospital
End gfx
The crowds were getting restless… Soon violence sparked off.
GFX HEADER: THE RIOT TINDERBOX
SUBHEAD: STATE INTELLIGENCE BUREAU REPORTS Feb 28, 2002
Time: 7:17 am
PCR wireless message (Sola Hospital)
Page No. 5797 (Annexure IV, File XIV)
+ Mob of 500 people holding up traffic.
End gfx
At 8:10 there is a message from the Control Room saying that 3 SRP Companies have been sent to Sola Hospital for extra bandobast.
Feb 28, 2002
Time: 11:55 am
PCR wireless message: Page No 5894(Annexure IV, File XIV)
+ Mob set vehicle on fire, arson on highway
Feb 28, 2002
Time: 11.55 am
PCR message
State Intelligence Bureau: Page No.6162 (Annexure IV File XV)
+ Riots have started at Sola Hospital & near High Court where bodies
+ were brought
Feb 28, 2002
Time: Not known
PCR message (Sola Hospital)
State Intelligence Bureau: Page No. 6172
+ Sola Hospital staff surrounded by 500-strong mob Please provide
+ security at hospital urgently
(ENDGFX)
These revelations show how mobs were allowed to congregate at the hospital to take out funeral processions. Though violence had erupted, curfew was still not clamped.
Pande claimed in his statement before the SIT that he visited the Hospital at 10 am and found everything to be normal.
GFX: "I went to Sola Civil Hosptal around 10:00 and found that doctors were under pressure to complete the documentation wheras relatives were in a hurry to take the bodies. However, I didn't find anything alarming and as such returned around 11:00 am." Gfx ends
Pande also claimed there were no funeral processions, a claim accepted by the SIT. But the PCR messages show that there were not only processions but also riots at the hospital, nailing Pande's lies.
GFX HEADER: THE RIOT TINDERBOX
SUBHEAD: STATE INTELLIGENCE BUREAU REPORTS Feb 28, 2002
Time: 11:58 am
PCR message (Sola Hospital)
State Intelligence Bureau: Page No. 5907 & 5925(Annexure IV File XIV)
+ Funeral procession of 10 bodies taken out from Ramol Jantanagar to
+ Hatkeshwar crematorium 6,000 people accompanied procession
End gfx
As funeral processions wound through the city, mobs ran amok at Gulbarg Society, Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gaam in Ahmedabad.
VO: Funeral processions were allowed in other parts of the state as well.
GFX HEADER: THE RIOT TINDERBOX
SUBHEAD: STATE INTELLIGENCE BUREAU REPORTS Feb 28, 2002
Time: Not known
PCR message (Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha) Com/538 State Intelligence Bureau: Page No. 258 (Annexure III File XIX)
+ Funeral procession allowed at Khedbrahma town in Sabarkantha district
+ Situation tense, 2 Muslims stabbed at Khedbrahma
Feb 28, 2002
Time: Not known
PCR message (Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha)
State Intelligence Bureau: Page No. 262(Annexure III File XIX)
+ 150 Bajrang Dal members on way to Khedbrahma
Feb 28, 2002
Time: 3:32 pm
PCR message (Khedbrahma, Sabarkantha)
State Intelligence Bureau: Page No. 254 (Annexure III file XIX) Com/574
+ Funeral procession organised for Godhra train victim Babubhai Patel in
+ Sabarkantha
End gfx
Special Investigation Team in its closure report on pages 59 to 64 had concluded there were no funeral processions and gave a clean-chit to the Gujarat government on this count.
PCR messages detailing incidence of violence in Ahmedabad clearly warned about a brewing unrest. Rioting was reported from Naroda and Meghani Nagar where Gulberg Society is located. The PCR messages of violence in Ahmedabad are contained in Annexure IV File XIV. Here are some samples of the several wireless messages sent by policemen on the ground.
TAKE GFX
HEADER: EYES WIDE SHUT
SUBHEAD: THE RIOT TINDERBOX
Page No. 5798, 5803, 5804
Date: Feb 28, 2002
Time: 12:30 am
PCR Message:
Factory burnt at Ambikanagar on Feb 27
Area: Odhav
FIR No.80/02
Page No,: 5746
Date: Feb 28, 2002
Time: 1:10 am
PCR Message: Between 2:30-3:00 pm on Feb 27, mob stoned bus, vandalized shop
Area: Bapunagar
FIR No.: 64/02
Page No.: 5768
Date: Feb 28, 2002
Time: 2:38 am
PCR Message: Mob torched buses & rickshaws, damaged public property on Feb 27 at 5:15 pm
Area: Odhav
FIR No.:78/02
Page No.: 341, Order No. 534
Date: February 27, 2002
Time: 8:25pm
State Intelligence Bureau Message:
Man succumbs to stab injuries on Feb 27 at 8:25 pm
Area: Meghani Nagar
FIR No.: 65/02
Page No.: 341, Order No. 534
Date: February 27, 2002
Time: Not Known
State Intelligence Bureau Message:
Man succumbs to injuries on Feb 27 at 7:45 pm at Saralaben Hospital
Area: Meghani Nagar
FIR No.: 65/02
Page No.: 347, Order No. 8535
Date: February 27, 2002
Time: 8:30 pm
State Intelligence Bureau Message:
Man critically injured after attack at Ahmedabad railway station at 5pm
Area: Ahmedabad
FIR No: Not Known
Page No: 348, Order 541
Date: February 27, 2002
Time: 9:30pm
State Intelligence Bureau Message:
Juhapura resident attacked at V.F Hospital
Area: Ahmedabad
FIR No: 116
Page No.: 5807 & 5808
Date: Feb 28, 2002
Time: 4:28 am
PCR Message:
One critically injured near Kathwada Road, Naroda, on Feb 27 at 7.30 pm
Area: Naroda
FIR No.: 97/02
Page No.: 5805 & 5806
Date: February 28, 2002
Time: 4:20 am
State Intelligence Bureau Message:
One critically injured near Law Garden on Feb 27 at 8:15 pm
Area: Ellisbridge
FIR No: 116/02
Page No.: 5801
Date: February 28, 2002
Time: 3:50 am
State Intelligence Bureau Message:
One critically injured in mob attack near Mahalaxmi Crossroad, Paldi on Feb 27 at 8:30 pm
Area: Ellisbridge
FIR No.: 114/02
End gfx
Inspite of all of this, the then Ahmedabad Police Commissioner told the SIT that he didn't find the "circumstances on the 27th and 28th fit for curfew."
PCR and SIB reports show that there were regular inputs of VHP and Bajrang Dal led mobs swelling at Naroda and Gulberg Society.
Pande admitted before the SIT that at both these places curfew was declared only after 12:50 pm ...by then the mob had already swelled to between 10 and 15 thousand people in number. It is no wonder that the curfew that was finally imposed remained only on paper - it had no effect on the ground.
Hundred and fifty men, women and children were burnt and hacked to death at Naroda and Gulberg society in the four hours between 2 and 6 PM on Feb 28.
Police Headquarters at Shahibaug was only 2 to 3 kilometers from Gulberg Society and around 6 kilometers from Naroda Patiya.
Pande admitted before the SIT that through out the day he didn't move out of his office and visited Naroda Patiya and Gulberg only late in the evening...by that time the massacre was over and done with.
SIB messages show that there were three alerts about the impending massacre at Gulberg.
Graphics:
Date: 28.02.02 Time: 12:15 Sender: Police Inspector CJ Bharwad To: State SIB Control Room
+ Muslims reside in Gulberg Society
+ Mob is surrounding the place
+ Strict watch should be kept there.
Date: 28.02.02 Time: 14:50 Sender: Police Inspector CJ Bharwad To: State SIB Control Room
+ Mob of 3000 rioters has surrounded Gulberg Society take immediate
+ action.
Date: 28.02.02 Time: 17:00 Sender: Police Inspector CJ Bharwad To: State SIB Control Room
+ Mob attacked the society from all sides Ehsan Jaffri and women and
+ children burnt alive Houses are ablaze Mob is looting from homes
Graphics: In his defence Pande said in his statement: "On 28.2.2002 requests were received from different police stations seeking additional force and SRP and whatever forces were available with me the same were dispatched. However, I found that no feedback had been received by any one of them. This led me to presumption that additional forces reached in time and they were able to control the situation." END GFX
SIT accepted Pande's defence and gave him and the Gujarat Administration a clean chit.
The state government told the SIT that the 2002 riots were a spontaneous reaction to the Godhra tragedy, but documentary evidence tells a different story.
Eleven years after the after the horrific incidents as Narendra Modi aspires for the prime minister's chair, Headlines Today has tried to throw fresh light on why his ascension remains so contentious.
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