Deadline ends on March 20,fact-finding committee likely to seek an extension The two-member fact-finding committee formed to investigate and analyse the response to the 26/11 attack is likely to require an extension of the deadline to submit its report. The earlier deadline of March 20,set by the state government,now appears unviable. Sources in Mantralaya said the committee was likely to ask for an extension so that it could gather the complete evidence and re-record some of the statements it has taken. Also,the state government would have to move court for permission to the committee to access critical information,including wireless communication and CCTV footage from the attack sites. It is another matter that the members of the committee members may have already accessed some of this information unofficially. The state government had constituted the committee in December while assuring the state Assembly of an inquiry to check if there were any lapses and recommend on steps to be taken. The committee was formed under former Union secretary Ram Pradhan and retired IPS officer V. Balachandran. The committees task is to probe the strike and fix the responsibility for slips,if any,in handling the situation and its aftermath. The committee members have already interviewed 50 police officers,some of whom it is considering for reinterview so that they can match their statements with the evidence of wireless logs,medical data and police records. There were four or five incidents happening at the same time. The committee is looking at the administrative and police response to the incidents. There is no doubt there were some lapses. The committee will come to a conclusion after looking at all evidence and interviews, said a source. The committee,which is relying on the interviews of police and administration personnel,had visited four of the attack sites hotels Trident and Oberoi,Cama Hospital and CST station to try and assess the route taken by the terrorists in January. We are not a commission of inquiry. The committee findings will be given to the government which will have to present them before the House. The House will then take a decision on the action to be taken, said Pradhan.
