Gujarat Riots : All Those Who "Collaborated" Were Rehabilitated Later; SIT Head RK Raghavan Made High Commissioner - Sibal Tells Supreme Court
While arguing Zakia Jafri's plea against the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team(SIT) to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other high functionaries in the Gujarat Riots case, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that the SIT head RK Raghavan was appointed as a High Commissioner later."All these people who, quote-unquote, "collaborated",...
While arguing Zakia Jafri's plea against the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team(SIT) to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other high functionaries in the Gujarat Riots case, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that the SIT head RK Raghavan was appointed as a High Commissioner later.
"All these people who, quote-unquote, "collaborated", were rehabilitated later. Raghavan was made an Ambassador", Sibal submitted before a bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar.
RK Raghavan, a former Director of the CBI, was appointed as the High Commissioner for Cyprus in August 2017. Sibal also mentioned that the then Ahmedabad Police Commissioner PC Pandey, an accused in the case initially, later became the Gujarat DGP. "The journey from accused to DGP is disconcerting", he added.
Sibal, arguing on the 4th day of the hearing, continued elaborating on the alleged lapses of the SIT.
"If you accept a potential accused's statement, there is no investigation. Then your Special Investigation Team is only "SIT". It is only SITTING", he said.
Reminding that the SIT was set up by the Supreme Court after the National Human Rights Commission approached it expressing lack of faith in the local police, Sibal said that the SIT's conclusions were contrary to facts.
He said that violence had started on February 27 itself but the SIT conclusion was that there was no violence or arson. Sibal added that the SIT did not investigate why the then Ahmedabad Police Commissioner maintained that the funeral processions were peaceful, when there were facts to the contrary.
"What was the commissioner doing and why was he doing. We know what but we don't know why. That had to be investigated. He was sitting in his office all day long, he was not doing anything..They were in office throughout, didn't go out and had 3 conversation with the accused. This is scandalous. SIT has not investigated any of this. As an accused he (Mr. Pandey) became DGP Gujarat. The journey from accused to DGP is a little disconcerting. He said he doesn't know anything", Sibal said.
There were VHP people taking to Public Prosecutors, and the Public Prosecutors admitting such conversations, but the SIT did not examine those aspects.
"The SIT did not do their job. It was not an investigation but a collaborative exercise..I am not concerned with individuals, I am concerned with the process. This is an act of protection not a commitment to investigate", Sibal emphasized.
The arguments are underway. Live-updates from the hearing can be read here.
Reports of previous days' hearings :