Monday, May 9 2005 12:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Government today (Mar 9, 2005) sought time to file its reply to the petition filed by Additional Director General of Police R B Sreekumar before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), challenging the Government's decision to supersede him for "speaking out" against its handling of post-Godhra communal riots.

A CAT division bench today adjourned further proceedings on the petition till June 21 after Gujarat Government counsel Advocate Doctor sought time.

The CAT had issued notices returnable on May 9 to Chief Minister Narendra Modi and five senior bureaucrats who were part of the Government machinery during the post-Godhra communal riots, following Sreekumar's 206-page petition and explosive submissions on April 12.

Sreekumar was the State Intelligence Bureau chief during the post-Godhra riots and was transferred in September 2002 after he had submitted a report to the National Minorities Commission regarding the utterances of Modi against minorities during his Gaurav yatra.

The division bench of Justice Sanghvi and Justice Shankar Prasad adjourned the matter after Gujarat Government sought time to file replies, Sreekumar's Advocate Anand Yagnik later told reporters.

"The Centre had not received a copy of the notice as yet and had thus not filed its reply," Sanghvi said.

In reply to a question on their next step, the advocate said, "If for any reason the state of Gujarat does not file its reply by the next date then we will urge the bench to proceed with the matter and if necessary conduct the hearing in their absence."

Along with the affidavit, Sreekumar also submitted a copy of his semi-official 'diary' in which he had jotted down alleged 'illegal' instructions given by Modi and the bureaucrats to 'eliminate' minorities and ignore the activities of the Sangh Parivar.