Guj govt. charge-sheets IPS officer over riots

The Gujarat government on Saturday charge-sheeted IPS officer Rahul Sharma for alleged misconduct in not submitting the original CDs containing mobile phone call records related to the 2002 communal riots.
“Rahul Sharma has been served the copy of charge sheet today,” Gujarat government spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas told media persons here.
Mr. Sharma confirmed that he has received the copy of the charge-sheet. Mr. Sharma was served the first notice on January 27. He was served the final notice on July 28 and was asked to file reply to the notice within 15 days.
The officer has been accused of gross misconduct under Sec 3(1) of All India Service Rules 1969.
He has been accused of not submitting the CDs containing phone call records during the riots to respective investigating officers of Naroda Gam, Naroda Patia and Gulburg Society case.
The charge-sheet came a day after Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the Centre is willing to intervene in the matter.
Mr. Chidambaram said there are rules which allow the Centre to intervene.
“Rules do provide for central government to take certain decisions but this depends on officer concerned. If officer concerned raises it we can,” said Mr. Chidambaram.
According to the state government, Mr. Sharma’s conduct had become unbecoming of an IPS officer as he did not submit the CDs to his superiors when he was transferred from the post of DCP control, Ahmedabad.
The High Court on Friday rejected Mr. Sharma’s petition seeking details of the grounds on which he was served a show cause notice by the state government early this year over providing phone call records pertaining to 2002 riots.

Raj Thackeray praises Narendra Modi

Impressed by the development work done by the BJP government in Gujarat, MNS chief Raj Thackeray today commenced his nine-day tour to the state and said the intention of his visit was to take a leaf out the Narendra Modi-led administration in tackling issues like corruption and power, back home.

"Sitting in Mumbai, I had heard a lot about the development taking place in Gujarat through people and other media," Thackeray told mediapersons after visiting the Gandhi Ashram here.

"It felt good when the (Tata's) Nano car project was shifted from West Bengal to Gujarat. And when Ratan Tata himself praised the Modi government and development in the state, I felt I should also go there and see to myself what difference Modi administration had made," he said.

"I have great respect for Modi. The work his government has done, no other government has been able to do in the entire country," Thackeray added.

When asked if there where any political motive behind his visit to Gujarat, Thackeray said, "Those who believe that this is a political visit have very narrow vision and I don't care what they think."

Thackeray said that infrastructure and state development was his passion and to see what Gujarat has done in this sector he was here.

"Maharashtra is far ahead of Gujarat in industries and infrastructure. Development in Gujarat is a recent phenomenon," he said.

"In Maharashtra, electricity, roads and corruption is a major problem. I want to see how Gujarat government has been able to address the issues of electricity and corruption. I also want to see how the system of politicians and state bureaucrats were working here, hand in hand," Thackeray added.

Guj Min meets 14 fishermen released by Pak

Gujarat Fisheries Minister Dilip Sanghani today met the 14 fishermen, who were released by the Pakistani government last week after being jailed for straying into the country's maritime territorial waters.

 The fishermen met Sanghani in his office in Gandhinagar after their arrival from the Wagah border and apprised him about the treatment meted out to them in the Pakistani jail. "These fishermen told me about quality of meal served to them during their detention in the Pakistani jail.

 Each one of them was given only five rotis during a day and a vegetable," Sanghani said. Besides, they were asked to do cleaning and other works, he said.

The 14 fishermen, who were among the 274 detained in Pakistani jails for varying periods, were released on July 28 from the Malir Jail in Karachi after spending nearly 15 months behind bars.