Godhra (Gujarat): The high-level committee appointed by the Centre to investigate the cause of the fire inside the S-6 coach of the Sabarmati express train, in which 59 'Ram Sevaks' were killed on February 27 2002, today (Sep 14, 2004) conducted a spot inquiry and also inspected the coach.

The team, led by former Supreme Court judge U C Banerjee and comprising of fire expert Balakesariya, technical expert S K Khanna and mechanical expert S K Dheri, conducted the spot inquiry and a thorough investigation of the charred S-6 coach.

Banerjee told reporters that the team, formed under the Railways Act, aimed to basically understand what had actually happened inside the coach on that day.

When asked if the technical experts could find out anything as the incident took place two-and-half years ago, Banerjee said this could be said only after the coach and other evidences was looked into.

He, however, refused to comment if he would consider or look into the evidence gathered and the findings of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Gujarat police and other State agencies.

The team also met several railway and district authority officials and are expected to return by noon.

Banerjee said that the committee was given a three-month time period to complete the probe.

The committee was appointed by the Union Cabinet at the behest of the Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav to conduct a high-level departmental probe into the cause of fire.