SIT moots plans for witness protection in Godhra case

Ahmedabad, May 8 (PTI) Relocation of witnesses and
changing their identity in extreme circumstances for their
protection during trials are being considered by the Supreme
Court of India appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT)
probing afresh some of the post-Godhra riot cases.

Deliberations are underway to finalise the plan for
witness protection when the trials begin in the (2002) riot
cases, which will be conducted by the Fast Track Courts as
directed by the Apex Court.

However, the process is still on and nothing has been
decided as of now, SIT chairman and former CBI director R K
Raghavan told PTI Friday.

"There are some ideas that are being deliberated which
include a helpline for witnesses. Another idea is changing the
identity of the witness under extreme circumstances. But it
will take some time to come up with concrete plan," he said.

Raghavan was in Gujarat early this week to deliberate
with senior officers over the witness protection and related
issues. He had said that providing protection to witnesses in
various riot cases will be his top priority.

Another senior officer of the SIT said that normally
protection is given to witness by assigning him with guard who
will accompany him.

The SIT is also pondering over idea of assigning a
nodal officer to deal with complaints of witnesses once trials
in the riot cases begin, SIT official said.

Also, under extreme circumstances, the witnesses are
relocated within the city or to another city, the officer
said.

Following the Supreme Court order lifting its stay on
the trials of some of the post-Godhra riot cases, officials
have been deliberating on the witness protection issue as the
Apex Court has made the SIT a nodal agency to decide as to
which witnesses should be given protection and relocated.

The SIT has investigated nine cases including the Godhra
train burning and subsequent riots cases and had submitted its
report before the Apex Court in March 2009.

The Apex Court had on March 26, 2008, constituted SIT
which besides, Raghavan as its head has former Director
General of UP police, C B Satpathy and three IPS officers from
Gujarat Geeta Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia as its
members.

The SIT was asked to "inquire and investigate" cases
relating to Godhra carnage in which 59 people were killed
and other cases including, Gulbarg Society, Naroda Gam and
Naroda Patiya in Ahmedabad, Sardarpura and Dipda Darwaja in
Mehsana, Ode in Anand and Prantij in Sabarkantha.

The SIT has also been assigned the task by the Apex
Court of probing within three months the role of Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues, police
officials and senior bureaucrats in the post-Godhra riots. PTI
PB