2002 Gujarat Riots: Supreme Court to Hear Zakia Jafri's Plea Challenging Clean-chit to PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi, December 3: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned till January third week a plea of Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several others in 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar adjourned the matter after counsels appearing for Jafri and anther applicant Teesta Setalvad, sought time to file more documents. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jafri, asked for time to file convenience volumes consisting of direct evidence to establish a conspiracy. Jafri was among 69 people killed in the Gulbarg Society massacre. 2002 Gujarat Riots: Out of 23, Four Acquitted by Gujarat High Court in Godhra Case.

The SIT, appointed by the apex court, conducted the investigation into the case and gave a clean chit to then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, other top politicians and bureaucrats. The clean chit was given citing lack of "prosecutable evidence" against them.

Challenging the Gujarat High Court's order dated October 5, 2017 that upheld SIT's clean chit, Zakia approached the Supreme Court alleging a "larger conspiracy" in the riots.

The Gujarat High Court had upheld the magisterial court's order, accepting the SIT's closure report. Earlier, Zakia had approached the Gujarat High Court in 2014 after the magisterial court rejected the petition challenging the SIT report.

In her petition to the Supreme Court, Zakia has stated: "Grant ad-interim order to Special Investigation Team (SIT) to carry out further investigation under section 173(8) of Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr. P. C.) in regard to the petitioner's complaint dated June 8, 2006 and the evidence placed before the learned through the protest petition dated April 15, 2013."