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Gujarat government has violated high court order: Bhatt

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Press Trust of India Ahmedabad

"This is a deliberate violation by the state of its own undertaking before the high court to submit documents to the Commission by October 19. This has made impossible for me to even undertake any meaningful inspection that should have been completed by October 27, as per the directions of the court," he told Justice (retd) G T Nanavati Commission.

Bhatt said the state government intentionally marked most documents as "secret or confidential" so he cannot inspect them.

The panel comprising Justice (retd) G T Nanavati and Justice (Retd) Akshay Mehta was hearing his submission in relation to high court's order to allow him to inspect documents related to 2002 riots.

 

The state government marked either secret or confidential some of the post-Godhra riot-related documents after the high court order on Bhatt's PIL demanding their inspection.

Some of the documents, asked by Bhatt were produced after almost 10 years.

Out of 47 documents sought by Bhatt, 17 were not produced, 25 marked secret or confidential while Bhatt had been allowed to inspect only 5 documents.

In a note to Bhatt, the Commission had informed him that "As regards to 25 documents the State has marked them as Secret/Confidential and it is mentioned by the state that the same may not be disclosed to any person."

The Commission also decided to pass an appropriate order after hearing Bhatt and the state government.

The panel, after completion of Bhatt's submission today adjourned the hearing till November 2 when it will hear the state government on the issue.

  

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First Published: Oct 29 2012 | 11:45 PM IST

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