While Zakia Jafri, the widow of late Congress MP Ehsan Jafri killed at his Gulberg Society residence during post-Godhra carnage, had, in a complaint, accused Gujarat CM Narendra Modi directly of “ignoring” his request for help, the SIT that probed the riots has come out with a conclusion that the police had in fact drawn a plan to “shift” Jafri to a safe place but failed to execute it due to lack of coordination among the officers concerned.
SIT chief R.K. Raghavan after examining the role of the then Joint Commissioner of Police M.K. Tandon and DCP P.B. Gondia on the basis of material gathered, in his comments has stated that Mr Tandon had visited Gulberg society initially around 11.30 am on February 28, 2002, but at that time there was only a minor incident of stone pelting. After leaving instructions with junior officers on the spot, he proceeded to other places as riots had spread to Meghaninagar, Narodia Patia and Naroda Gam, which fell under his jurisdiction.
Around 12.20 pm and 12.38 pm Mr Tandon received two messages from an inspector about the situation deteriorating in Gulberg area. “He did not, however, act on these and rush to Gulberg society. Instead proceeded to Bapu Nagar Rakhial and Dariyarpur (other areas affected 6-7 km away).”
From Dariyarpur, he asked police control room around 2.5 pm to “send additional force to Gulberg Society to shift Ahesan Jafri and others surrounded by a mob.” As he received two further messages at 2.14 and 2.45 pm about the worsening of the situation at Gulberg surrounded by thousands of people, Mr Tandon asked Gondia to move there. But around 3.35 pm Mr Tandon received a call from Gondia that the society has been set on fire. He ultimately reached Gulberg but could not save Jafri. “The Investigation into the role of Gondia, who now holds the rank of IG, will be looked into,” Mr Raghvan stated.
Zakia in her complaint had said when situation in Gulberg society became dangerous, her husband had “desperately” called Mr Modi on phone but the latter did not help. As per one version, Mr Modi was actually “rude” to Jafri, who was stated to have used landline phone, which in fact was the only phone in the entire society “However, no records are available on either side to corroborate the allegation. Modi has also categorically refuted the allegation saying he never knew Jafri before the incident,” said the SIT.