NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the plea of Zakia Jafri challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2002 Gujarat riots till January third week. Zakia Jafri is the widow of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri who was killed in one of the worst incidents during the riots in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002.
Earlier On 5 October 2017, the Gujarat High Court had rejected Jafri’s plea challenging a lower court order upholding SIT’s clean chit to the then Chief Minister Modi and others on allegations of larger conspiracy in connection with the riots.
Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Gujarat government opposed the suggestion and said that it is a separate case and should not be tagged along with the criminal appeals. The state government advocate also opposed issuing of a notice in the plea. Ms Jafri’s counsel on the other hand, said that the plea pertained to an alleged “larger conspiracy” during the period between February 27, 2002 and May 2002.
At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the SIT, said Zakia’s plea was not maintainable and that “it is an issue of facts and for how long it can go on.” Ehsan Jafri was among 68 people who were killed at the Gulberg Society in Ahmedabad when a mob attacked it on February 28, 2002.
