BENGALURU: Often the old scars of history resurface as festering wounds, and should be handled with care and sensitivity, for common and lasting good. So when in her memoir—‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, on the infamous February 2002 Sabarmati Express carnage, writes that the cause “remains disputed,” former CBI director Rakesh Asthana objects to Gandhi’s claim.
“The Sabarmati Express case was a well planned conspiracy; from across the border, to destabilise India and its communal harmony. This was established by our detailed investigation and was upheld by the courts leading to conviction of perpetrators. The conspirators had chosen Godhra because of its historical communal history and proximity to Karachi. Around the time, there were feeds from the R&AW (Research & Analysis Wing) and the IB (Intelligence Bureau) alerting agencies on a cross border conspiracy to trigger communal riots in the country. Not just Gujarat, the entire country was on alert,” Asthana told this newspaper in an exclusive telephonic conversation.
He mentioned that the SIT constituted by the Supreme Court and headed by Dr RK Raghavan, to examine the investigation by the Gujarat SIT headed by him, “did not find any lacuna in our (SIT) investigation. Based on their report to the Supreme Court, the trial in the case commenced leading to conviction. Justice Nanavati Commission of inquiry, (to probe the Sabarmati Express incident and Godhra riots) also reached the same conclusion,” said Asthana.