In an apparent move to corner chief minister Narendra Modi, the Congress in Gujarat on Tuesday moved an application before the Nanavati Commission seeking direction to the police to provide wide ranging police records between February 27, 2002 and March 9, 2002, the period which saw Godhra train burning and subsequent riots in the state.

The Congress, through its lawyer Hiralal Gupta, submitted the application to the panel, comprising retired Justices G T Nanavati and Akshay Mehta, which is probing the post-Godhra riots that claimed over 1,000 lives.

This is for the first time that an application of this nature has been moved by the Congress before the commission set up by the BJP Government in the state, which goes to the polls in end-2012.

The commission had earlier received a similar application from IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt seeking access to all the records of State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) from February 27, 2002 to September 30, 2002. The panel, before which he deposed, is yet to pass an order on that application.

The Congress, in its plea, has said in view of Bhatt's deposition and an affidavit filed by him in the supreme court, it is apparent, prima-facie, "that the role of Modi and his ministers deserves further inquiry to find what game they have played in either instigating, abetting, assisting and in any manner facilitating or permitting the incident" which had taken place after the Godhra train burning incident.

Bhatt has stated in his deposition that he has given sufficient materials which throw ample light on the "role played by the chief minister, minister of state for home, police officers and other organisations", the application by the main opposition party in Gujarat said.