India, Nov. 14 -- Former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, who led the Gujarat Police investigation into the 2002 Godhra train burning, has rejected Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's description of the cause of the fire as "disputed", insisting that the investigation and subsequent judicial proceedings established that it was a deliberate act.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Asthana said investigators had examined multiple theories before gathering evidence linking the accused to the incident.

He maintained that the findings were subsequently scrutinised by the Nanavati Commission, a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the courts.

Reacting to the passage in Gandhi's memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, A...