A petitioner who had filed a PIL on Nanavati Commission’s status, today told the Gujarat High Court that state government disregarded the authority of the court by unilaterally granting nine-month extension to the Commission which is probing the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Jignesh Goswami had filed the PIL last December about the “status” of the commission. While it was pending, Gujarat government extended the term of the Commission for the eighteenth time. Following which, Goswami amended his petition, which came up before the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala today. The amended PIL contends that when the matter was sub-judice, the government should have sought court’s permission before giving an extension. “…it shows that the Gujarat government has demonstrated total disregard (for court’s authority),” it said, adding that the court should seek appropriate explanation from the state.
The High Court directed the state government to make a submission on this on May 3, the next date of hearing. The petition contends that public money to the tune of Rs 6.37 crore has been spent on the Commission since its inception in 2002, but after over nine years and 17 extensions, it only submitted an interim report in September 2008.
–PTI–