Some relief,some bitterness

It was during the riots that followed that Umarji,then in his fifties,shot into prominence. He took up up the cause of Muslims in Godhra,working in riot relief camps and managing not only their day-to-day affairs but also their financial aspects,according to local community leaders.

Then,Umarji was suddenly in the headlines as the alleged face of the plot behind the train’s burning,and for alleged involvement in the subsequent riots. The chargesheet filed by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had named him the main accused in the conspiracy. He was acquitted today.

Umarji lived near Kalabhai Petrol Pump on Vejalpur Road in Godhra town. Those close to him say he was in two or three small businesses involving timber,bidi leaves and construction. Though a devout Muslim who never missed his prayers,Umarji was not a functioning cleric.

After he had taken up local Muslims’ issues,Umarji became the only local leader to make made a representation before then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his visit to Godhra following the communal riots. He also made representations to various commissions,including the Parliamentary Committee that visited coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express and other parts of the town. The Maulana also took up the Bilkis Bano case before these commissions and other groups that visited Godhra at various times.

A senior police official who was in Godhra at the time told The Indian Express that Umarji was not “one of those popular community leaders”. “He came to the limelight only due to the relief camps where he met the Prime Minister and later even communicated with other groups that came to Godhra.”

He was charged with inciting other accused to come out with weapons and set coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express on fire,leading to the death of 59 people,besides damage to public property and looting of the passengers. The chargesheet also accused him in a conspiracy to instigate communal frenzy between Hindus and Muslims. Other charges included giving shelter and help to other accused. One specific charge was Maulana Umarji gave a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance to some of the absconding accused.

After his acquittal for lack of evidence,his family received a rush of congratulatory messages. His son Saeed,whose mobile rang persistently,said the imprisonment had been illegal from the very beginning.

“My father worked for the community after the riots broke out following the incident. He worked closely with the district administration after the riots,even when floods happened in the state. Political parties such as the BJP used my father to gain political mileage after my father was named as the main conspirator. Not just our family,but people from acros our community lost faith in the state judiciary,” he said.

(With Anupam Chakravartty in Godhra)

2 Panels,2 Views
Where the Justice U C BanerjeeCommission (set up by Railway Ministry) and the Justice NanavatiCommission (set up by Gujarat govt) differed:

Conspiracy theory
* U C Banerjee : Sabarmati Express’s S-6 coach was not deliberately burnt down; accidental fire engulfed coir,foam and latex on berths,and luggage
* Nanavati : Pre-planned conspiracy against kar sevaks; part of a larger design to create terror and destablise the administration.

Cooking vs Petrol
* U C Banerjee : Not possible to pour 60 litres petrol onto S-6 floor from outside when the train was in motion; evidence of cooking by kar sevaks,this might have caused fire
* Nanavati : Coach was set on fire from outside as police say; petrol was indeed used.

Outside Hand
* U C Banerjee : No miscreants involved; kar sevaks with trishuls would not have allowed themselves to be set on fire without resistance; outsiders could not possibly have entered coach latched from inside
* Nanavati : Incident planned by Razzak Kurkur and Salim Panwala with others; they procured petrol,stopped the train and broke into coach.

Crowd Trouble
* U C Banerjee : Many passengers could not find seats because of “Bajrang Dal people”; at Ratlam,announcements on public address system that GRP should assist genuine passengers as coaches full of unauthorised ones
* Nanavati : Despite overcrowding and occasional raising of slogans,journey from Ayodhya to Godhra was trouble-free.

Modi Role
* U C Banerjee : No mention of alleged role of Chief Minister Narendra Modi or other politicians
* Nanavati : Clean chit to Modi and his council of ministers.

The Guilty
And The Charges Against Them
1. Sulaiman Ahmed Hussain alias Tiger: Found guilty of being part of mob that attacked train.
2. Abdul Rheman Abdul Majid Dhantiya alias Kan Katto alias Jamburo: Attacking,obstructing firefighters,instigating mob to attack passengers,anti-national slogans.
3. Bilal Ismail Sujela alias Haji Bilal: Participating in illegal assembly at Aman Guest House and telling others that Maulvi Hussain Umarji had instructed them to burn coach.
4. Kasim Abdul Sattar alias Biriyani: Arms and explosives training in J&K,trying to disturb communal harmony.
5. Ifran Siraj Pada: Same as Biriyani.
6. Anwar Mohammad Mehda alias Lala Shaikh: Attacking passengers,breaking into coach.
7. Abdul Razzak Kurkur: Illegal assembly and conspiracy in Aman Guest House,transporting petrol in autorickshaw,storing it at home,then taking it to station. Instigating mob to attack passengers.
8. Siddik alias Matunga Badam: With three vendors,pulling chain in cabin A,going with Kurkur to bring petrol container,pouring petrol from toilet window.
9. Mehboob Mitha alias Popa: Smashing S-2 windows.
10. Ramzani Bin Yamin Behra: Helping procure petrol.
11. Hasan Ahmed Charkha alias Lalu: Carrying petrol containers to Kurkur’s house.
12. Jabir Bin Yamin Behra: Same as Lalu.v13. Mehboob Chanda: Same as Lalu.
14. Soheb Kalandar: Breaking windows,pouring petrol.
15. Shaukat Pataliya alias Bhano: Bringing petrol bottles from Kurkur’s house in a rickshaw,along with weapons,breaking into coach,pouring petrol.
16. Siddiq Mohammed Mora: Attacking passengers who were trying to flee.
17. Salim Zarda: Calling Jabir bin Yamin to Aman Guest House to meet Kurkur and discuss petrol procurement.
18. Qasim Abdul Sattar Asla: Same as Biriyani (No. 4)
19. Abdul Rauf alias Dhesli alias Kamli: S-6 attack.
20. Yunus Abdul Haq alias Ghadiyali: Being with seven others with common intention of damaging S/2,trying to set it on fire.
21. Ibrahim Abdul Razzak alias Bhano: Train attack,first to pour petrol inside.
22. Siraj Mohammed Meda alias Bala: Same as Lalu (No.11).
23. Bilal Ismail Badam: Same as Jamburo (No. 2)
24. Farook alias Haji Bhiriyo: Illegal assembly at guesthouse and telling others that Umarji had instructed them to burn S-6.
25. Irfan Abdul Majid Kalandar alias Bhopo: Same as Behra (No. 10)
26. Irfan Pataliya: Same as Behra (No. 10)
27. Ayub Abdul Gani Pataliya: Same as Ghadiyali (No. 20).
28. Saukat Abdulah Badam: Same as Behra (No. 10).
29. Mohammed Hanif alias Hani Badam: Same as Behra (No. 10).
30. Mehboob Ahmed alias Latiko: Breaking vestibule between S-6 and S-7,pouring petrol,breaking door.
31. Saukat Yusuf Mohan alias Bibina: Looting,attacking fleeing passengers,helping in attack.