'Sabarmati Express fire accidental'

The Justice U C Banerjee Committee probing the causes of fire in the Sabarmati Express in Godhra has held that the fire in S-6 coach was accidental.

Justice Banerjee submitted the final report to Railway Board Chairman J C Batra.

He had already submitted an interim report in January 2005 expressing the similar view.

Asked about the comments of Justice G T Nanavati, who is also probing the Godhra riots at the instance of the Gujarat government, contesting his interim report, Justice Banerjee said, "What should I say if somebody has a different mindset? I don't know what he will say about the final report."

In the interim report, Justice Banerjee had ruled out the possibility of any inflammable liquid thrown from outside into the coach. He had also ruled out "the petrol theory and miscreant activity theory" as well as the possibility of electrical fire as the cause of fire in the coach. These, he has restated in his final report.