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Jain report shows inconsistencies

There are some inconsistencies in the Jain Commission report on the Rajiv Gandhi assassination conspiracy case.

These have been brought out in the ''memorandum of action taken on the final report of the Jain Commission of Inquiry'' submitted to Parliament yesterday.

While the Commission's interim report had said Sikh extremists, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the United Liberation Front of Asom had a nexus and the ''common theme of this nexus was the annihilation of their commonly perceived enemy -- Shri Rajiv Gandhi,'' the final report said ''no definite clinching evidence establishing the link has come before the Commission.''

The interim report had talked about instances of ''collusion between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.

''Similarly, information existed of hostile attitudes of a section of Pakistani government and its security and intelligence agencies towards Shri Rajiv Gandhi.''

The final report reinforced this point, stating ''the possibility of foreign hand behind the LTTE in the assassination of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, therefore, cannot be ruled out, rather it is strengthened.''

While the Commission had made vague observations about former prime ministers V P Singh and Chandra Shekhar in the first report, it ruled out any conspiracy between the two as well as P V Narasimha Rao.

The interim report had dealt with the smuggling of arms and contraband by the LTTE from the international market, the final report said an investigation should have been conducted on the contents, fabrication and source of the improvised explosive device used in the assassination.

''If this investigation had been conducted the whole gamut of persons involved in the conspiracy would have come to light,'' the final report said.

UNI

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