SC declines urgent hearing on contempt petition against Modi

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to give a hearing on priority basis to the petition seeking contempt action against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks in connection with the probe ordered against him and others for post-Godhra riots.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishan and Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivan said it cannot hear the matter next week as sought by the advocate who has filed the contempt petition.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who has been assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter relating to Gujarat riots of 2002, has sought contempt proceedings for Modi's remark that the the probe against him was ordered by the Supreme Court as a result of a conspiracy involving Congress and its leader Kapil Sibal.

The advocate also referred to a subsequent advertisement which had claimed that efforts were on to send Modi to jail. The same advertisement had claimed that a clean chit will be given to Bofors case accused Ottavio Quattrocchi.

When the matter came for hearing, senior advocates Soli J Sorabjee and Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Gujarat Chief Minister, sought adjournment saying it could be heard after the summer vacation in July.

However, Bhushan insisted for early hearing saying the action of Modi was unconstituional.

This was opposed by Sorabjee who said "it is a matter between the court and contemnor".

Rohatgi, for his part, questioned the urgency of hearing as sought by Bhushan. "What is the hurry?" he said.

The apex court had ordered a probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by former CBI Director R K Raghavan against Modi, his cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats on a complaint of Jakia Nasim Ahesan Jafri, wife of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the Gujarat riots of 2002

The wife of the slain Congress leader has accused the Gujarat government of not entertaining her complaint relating to Gujarat riots