Gujarat riots: Tainted official shifted out of CBI

The government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to shift Additional CBI Director P C Pande, who is under scrutiny in connection with his role as Ahmedabad police commissioner during the post-Godhra riots, from the premier agency to the ministry of home affairs.

Formal orders in this regard would soon be passed, Solicitor General G E Vahanvati told a bench comprising Justice Ruma Pal and Justice C K Thakker, which is hearing a petition filed by Citizens for Justice and Peace seeking initiation of action against him.

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After recording the statement of the Solicitor General, the bench made it clear that Pande, in his new posting, would not handle any matter pertaining to the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.

Pande's posting in the CBI in 2003 snowballed into a controversy after NGOs petitioned the Supreme Court pointing out that the CBI was investigating some Gujarat riots cases.

Pande, a 1970 batch IPS officer from Gujarat cadre, has been deputed to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) up to March 2, 2008 or until further orders, according to a Government Order.

In its order, the home ministry asked the department of personnel and training, the cadre controlling department of the CBI, to relieve Pande immediately in order to enable him to take the new assignment.