2002 Gujarat Riots: Supreme Court Reserves Verdict On Zakia Jafri’s Plea

Zakia Jafri, the widow of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri - killed during the violence – told the apex court earlier on Wednesday that she had not tried to “implicate” the then state chief minister.

Supreme Court. (File Photo)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a petition seeking a fresh probe into the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by Zakia Jafri, challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and other high functionaries.

Zakia Jafri, the widow of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri - killed during the violence – told the apex court earlier on Wednesday that she had not tried to “implicate” the then state chief minister.

Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing Zakia Jafri, told a three-judge apex court bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar that they have not argued at all about any alleged involvement of the former chief minister, adding they are on the issue of a larger conspiracy which was not probed by the SIT.

Responding to a petition contesting the SIT’s clean chit to 63 people, including the then chief minister, the Gujarat government had earlier on Tuesday told the apex court that the Ordering any further probe into an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2002 riots will amount to a travesty of justice.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the SIT, earlier this month told the apex court that there was “no larger conspiracy” behind the Gujarat riots.

“There is no need to keep this pot boiling... your Lordships should give closure,” he added.

Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed in the violence, a day after the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra killing 59 people and triggering the riots in Gujarat.

Earlier on February 8, 2012, the SIT filed a closure report giving a clean chit to Narendra Modi, now the Prime Minister, and 63 others including senior government officials, saying there was “no prosecutable evidence” against them.

Zakia Jafri had filed a petition in the apex court in 2018, challenging the Gujarat High Court’s October 5, 2017, order rejecting her petition against the SIT decision.