Monday, January 24 2005 22:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Nanavati Commission going into the Gujarat violence has said the U C Banerjee Committee's interim report terming the Godhra train blaze as an accident was "not the final word" and it could have been an "act of terror".

"There were more than 250 persons in the train compartment at the time. It is not so easy for anyone to have a clear idea of the sequence of events, it could have been an act of terror, it would be premature to say that it was an accident at this stage or a conspiracy," Justice Nanavati told NDTV, according to a press release issued by the news channel.

He said witnesses had provided different versions of what had happened in Godhra.

"As a report prepared by a retired Supreme Court judge we will certainly give it weight but it cannot be conclusive. We will have to take into account the evidence provided by several witnesses before we can give our report on what happened in Godhra. Nothing can be ruled out at this stage," Justice Nanavati said.

The judge made it clear that the role of the mob at Godhra station could not be ignored. "I think everyone has confirmed that there was a mob at the station that was pelting stones from the platform. We cannot ignore this," he said.

Observing that his Commission had statutory powers unlike the Banerjee committee which was a departmental committee of the Railways, Nanavati said, "I do not know what were the compulsions that led to the appointment of the committee. But our Commission has statutory powers to summon, to order re-investigation which I do not think the Railway appointed committee has."

Asked whether the parallel inquiries would affect his Commission's work, he replied in the negative. "We will continue the process of inquiry and investigation. Justice Banerjee's report will be considered but it will not affect our inquiry in any manner."

Refuting the charge that Commission would give a finding that would satisfy the Narendra Modi Government, Nanavati said, "We may have been appointed by the Modi Government but we remain independent."

"If everything goes fine, our report on Gujarat will be out by the end of this year," he said.