NEW DELHI: Former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, who led the Gujarat Police investigation into the 2002 Godhra train burning, has rejected a passage in Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's memoir describing the cause of the fire as "disputed", maintaining that the investigation and subsequent court proceedings established that it was deliberately set.In an interview with news agency ANI, Asthana said investigators had examined different theories and possibilities before collecting evidence that connected the accused to the crime.He argued that the findings had been upheld by the Nanavati Commission, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the courts.Reacting to the passage in Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Asthana said, "That is completely wrong, the investigation is authentic. It has been proved in the court of law. Even now, if someone is creating doubt about it, then it is for political reasons; there can be no other explanation for it."Sonia writes in her memoir, "The riots were triggered when four coaches of the Sabarmati Express were set on fire and 59 pilgrims died. The train was returning to the…
Godhra train fire was deliberate, Sonia Gandhi's memoir claim is wrong: Ex-CBI officer
In short
Former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana reaffirmed that the fatal attack on 59 Hindu pilgrims was systematically planned and verified across multiple independent investigations. Both the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team and the Nanavati Commission validated the initial findings, eventually securing convictions in 2011. While an earlier 2004 committee proposed an accidental fire theory, the Gujarat High Court declared that panel illegal and discarded its conclusions.
Key points
- Investigative and judicial bodies consistently substantiated that the Sabarmati Express b…: Investigative and judicial bodies consistently substantiated that the Sabarmati Express blaze was deliberately set.
- Supreme Court-mandated reviews verified the initial police findings without uncovering fl…: Supreme Court-mandated reviews verified the initial police findings without uncovering flaws, resulting in formal convictions.
- Legal authorities treated the fatal attack strictly as a criminal offense rather than thr…: Legal authorities treated the fatal attack strictly as a criminal offense rather than through a religious framework.