The Union has released the report, a copy of which was handed over to Governor Nawal Kishor Sharma on Saturday.

“More than just another law and order issue, this must be looked at as a larger issue of systemic apathy towards the tribal people,” said noted social scientist Dr Ghanshyam Shah, who led the team. “While our investigations do raise some questions on the very incident itself, there are also larger issues involved in the entire development, which need to be addressed,” he added.

While tribals comprise about 15 per cent in the total population of the state, “the single largest group living below the poverty line in Gujarat are the tribals,” the report said, adding that the land rights remain the central issue of the events starting from February 3 last, which culminated in the police firing. “For Adivasis, land is not merely a source of livelihood, it is also an integral part of their culture, identity and existence,” it said.

Dwelling upon the various incidents of tribal unrest in the state on earlier occasions, the report pointed out that while the pro-Adivasi NGOs and political outfits became more active after the notification of the Forest Rights Act in early January, the campaign for the implementation of the rules was rejuvenated in the area.

Listing the sequence of events from February 2, the committee observed that several skirmishes were building up in Polo and adjoining areas, which subsequently resulted in the arrest of seven people in the early hours of February 13. "According to the government, the number of persons arrested was five. But according to our information, the number was seven," it said.

The report also raises doubts over the death of one Sanjabhai. According to the team, the police had arrested him along with his son on the morning of February 13 but his son was released later. However, the news of Sanjabhai's death in the firing reached the family only the next day. "Police department should come out with facts before the public. If he was not taken into custody, why, when and where was he released?" the report asked.

Terming the police firing “irresponsible, insensitive and unwarranted,” the report said the official version provided “is full of contradictions.” PUCL demanded immediate judicial enquiry headed by a high court judge and punitive actions against the police official involved in it.