Guj riots: SIT opposes plea against clean chit to Modi

The SIT that investigated the 2002 Gujarat riots, on Monday strongly opposed a plea made by Zakia Jafri, widow of Congress M P Ehsan Jafri, against clean chit to Narendra Modi, then chief minister of the state and others.

“The SIT has given its comprehensive report. She went to the magistrate's court and then to the high court. How long the matter should go on,” senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi submitted before a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Deepak Gupta.

The appeal filed here does not have a single supporting affidavit by Jafri and all affidavits have been filed by Teesta Setalvad, who described herself as a journalist, Rohatgi pointed out, flagging preliminary objections to the appeal filed against the Gujarat High Court's order of October, 2017.

Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for Jafri, submitted that the petitioner was abroad and has suffered some fractures. That's why the petitioner number two Setalvad had filed the affidavit.

The bench, however, said the matter would take some time for consideration and posted it for hearing on November 26.

In the petition, Jafri, whose husband Congress MP Ehsan Jafri was burnt to death in their house at Gulberg society, contended Modi, and 59 others, including bureaucrats and police officers, should be made accused for being a part of criminal conspiracy for 2002 riots.

The petitioner had earlier contended the high court by its order dismissed her petition against the clean chit but allowed her to approach either the apex court or the trial court for reinvestigation.

She had approached the high court in 2014 after the trial court rejected the objection application by her against the clean chit given by the SIT headed by former CBI director R K Raghavan, to Modi and others.