A larger bench has been referred by a Supreme Court bench to the plea of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri’s widow seeking documents on the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Gulberg Housing Society riot case in Ahmedabad in 2002.
A two-judge bench of Justices D K Jain and Madan B Lokur said “It cannot go into the issue as the SIT probe and related issues concerning the Godhra and other riot cases of 2002 in Gujarat was dealt by a three-member special bench, which on September 12, 2011 had passed the order relating to supply of documents to Jafri’s widow, Zakia Jafri.”
It also said, “We are of the view that the said order was passed by another bench and so it would be appropriate that the matter be heard by the same bench. Let the matter be placed before that larger bench as expeditiously as possible”
The bench said that it would not be proper for it to pass the order and propriety also demands that the matter be referred to the larger bench which had passed the order. The Supreme Court on September 12, 2011 had directed the SIT to forward its final report regarding the Gulberg Society riots to the local court. The SIT had probed the riot cases including the Ahmedabad Gulberg Society massacre case.
On November 27 an Ahmedabad trial court had accepted the SIT closure report filed on March 13, 2012 in the case. Zakia Jafri has filed the SLP challenging the trial court’s order rejecting her plea for supply of some documents relating to the investigation in the case.
