SC dismisses Zakia Jafri’s plea, upholds SIT clean chit to Modi, others
Zakia Jafri, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed during the violence in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, had moved the apex court challenging the clean chit given by the SIT to Narendra Modi and several others in the case.
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New Delhi, June 24: Dismissing the plea filed by Zakia Jafri, the Supreme Court upheld the 'clean chit' given to Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots case. In 2002, PM Modi was serving as the Gujarat chief minister. While delivering its verdict, the apex court said that the "appeal is devoid of merits".
Zakia Jafri, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed during the violence in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, had moved the apex court challenging the clean chit given by the SIT to Narendra Modi and several others in the case.
"We don't countenance the submission of the appellant (ZakiaJafri) regarding infraction of rule of law regarding the investigation and the approach of the Magistrate and the High Court in dealing with the final report," the Supreme Court said in its verdict while upholding the clean chit given to Modi.
During the earlier hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who appeared for the Gujarat government, and senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi who represented the SIT, slammed Jafri saying that the SIT conducted a thorough probe and found no "prosecutable evidence". They had also said that Teesta Setalvad, petitioner No2, had vested interests and running a sustained campaign as she just wanted to "keep the pot boiling" in regards to the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Mukul Rohtagi had appealed to the SC bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar that the court should endorse the decision taken by the Gujarat High Court on Jafri's plea. On February 8, 2012, the SIT filed the closure report and concluded that there was "no prosecutable evidence" against Modi and 63 others, including senior government officials.
Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed in the violence. The violence had erupted a day after the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra killing 59 people and triggering communal riots in Gujarat. In 2006, the police filed a case against Modi, some ministers, and officials in response to a complaint filed by Zakia. In September 2013, The SIT gave a clean chit to Modi against Jafri’s allegations. The Ahmedabad court too rejected a protest petition filed against the clean chit given to Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots case.