Saturday, January 21 2006 15:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: The U C Banerjee Commission today (Jan 21, 2006) refused to give certain documents concerning its findings about the Sabarmati express train carnage incident at Godhra on February 27, 2002 to the Godhra inquiry panel.

In a reply to the Nanavati-Shah Commission's order that sought for the documents related to its findings on the train carnage, the Banerjee Commission in a confidential letter sent to the former refused to part with the required documents.

On December 22, 2005, the Commission had ordered the U C Banerjee Commission to produce copies of documents, including statements of witnesses and its interim report.

"The Banerjee Commission which was earlier a committee has asked in the letter to be treated on equal footing with the Nanavati-Shah Commission and has refused to part with the documents," said VHP advocate Deepak Shukla adding that the contents of the letters were not public.

It was the VHP, that had filed an application earlier seeking the Banerjee commission's documents under section 4 (D) of the Commission of Enquiry Act.

The Banerjee commission, appointed by the Union Railway Ministry and that is probing the technical aspects of the train carnage incident, recently got its status of the Commission.

"We will pass appropriate orders," Justice (retd) G T Nanavati, the chairman of the Nanavati-Shah Commission said.

The matter will now come up for hearing on February 8.