Gujarat Riots : Mukul Rohatgi Defends SIT Clean Chit To Narendra Modi - Live Updates From Zakia Jafri's Case In Supreme Court Hearing
Supreme Court to continue hearing today the petition filed by Zakia Jafri challenging the SIT's clean chit to the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi & other high functionaries in the #GujaratRiots of 2002.A Bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar is hearing the matter. Taking the Court through a range of voluminous documents and notes, Senior Advocate...
Supreme Court to continue hearing today the petition filed by Zakia Jafri challenging the SIT's clean chit to the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi & other high functionaries in the #GujaratRiots of 2002.
A Bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and CT Ravikumar is hearing the matter.
Taking the Court through a range of voluminous documents and notes, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal concluded his arguments on behalf of the Petitioner yesterday. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi will argue for SIT today,
On Tuesday, Senior Advocate, Mr. Kapil Sibal appearing for the Petitioner, vehemently argued that the SIT that had given clean chit to the highest functionaries of the State of Gujarat, who were alleged to have been involved in the Gujarat riots of 2002, did not conduct proper investigation and the Magistrate and the Gujarat High Court did not deal with crucial material, refusing to delve further into the matter.
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Rohatgi: Then it talks about rewards. I am not reading but I want to show you Milord that SIT has dealt with each fellow, everybody’s role etc.
Rohatgi: Your Lordship, I’ll continue tomorrow.
Rohatgi: It appears he (Shreekumar) turned against the Govt. after he was superseded, which was in 2005. SIT concludes, testimony of Shreekumar is motivated, he kept record, he recorded conversation with Pandeya and Murmu. He kept it guarded until he was superseded.
Rohatgi: Milord, mark the period. Shreekumar was appointed as ADG 09.04.2002 onwards, two months after the riots. So, he had no personal knowledge of the riots. Before this he was ADG, Arms Unit, which had nothing to do with law and order situation.
Rohatgi: Even Sharma himself does not want to comment because it is prerogative of Govt. He is transferred from Bhavnagar to the capital.
Bench: The context of the allegation is that the ones who maintained law and order were made victim. The transfer was made at a time when they were the most needed.
Rohatgi: That is for the Govt. to decide. This was beyond the limit of SIT. We have still not skirted any issue.
Rohatgi: The presence of the Minister would boost the morale of the police, that the minister is not hiding in his house.
Rohatgi: Then there is allegation no. 6 regarding officials Ill treated with transfers and some rewarded. Who is ill-treated - Rahul Sharma, who was accused. Satish Verma and Shreekumar.
Rohatgi: Kindly now see on Jadeja. They (SIT) examined every relevant person - two ministers, police officers, Additional Chief Secretary. Concluded that one did not visit, one visited but was siting on a different room. It was a matter of practice, to help the police.
Mr. Rohatgi is now on allegation of the presence of two ministers in Ahmedabad city control room.
Rohatgi: One correction, I had said that the other side does not rely on Shreekumar, but they want to rely on Shreekumar, his affidavits but not the register.
Mr. Rohatgi refers to the portion with respect to Shreekumar.
Rohatgi: Every person in every paragraph has been examined and from there they have reconstructed this about Sreekumar.
Mr. Rohatgi pointed out that the SIT concluded that the bodies were in custody of police, they were brought at night, there were no one on the highway, cannot be considered as parading. The Mamlatdar handing over the body to Jaydeep Patel was indeed criticised by the SIT.