Gujarat Riots : Supreme Court Adjourns Zakia Jafri's Plea Against Clean Chit To Narendra Modi By Two Weeks

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned by two weeks the petition filed by Zakia Jafri plea challenging the SIT SIT report giving clean chit to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other high functionaries in the Gujarat riots of 2002.

A bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Krishna Murari granted the adjournment based on a request made on behalf of the petitioner.

Zakia Jarfi, widow of Congress MLA Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the Gulberg Housing Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat Riots, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the SIT report which ruled out any "larger conspiracy" by high state functionaries in instigating the communal riots following the Godhra massacre.

Zakia has challenged the Gujarat High Court's October 5, 2017 order rejecting her plea against the SIT's decision.

On Feb 8, 2012, the SIT filed a closure report, giving a clean chit to Modi and 63 others, saying there was "no prosecutable evidence" against them. The Magistrate accepted the closure report. This was challenged by Zakia in revision filed before the Gujarat High Court.

In October 2017, a bench of Justice Sonia Gokani refused to interfere with the Magistrate's order, observing that "extensive investigation" has taken place into the matter under the monitoring of the Supreme Court.

"...in every incident of riot that had taken place in the aftermath of Godhra incident, extensive investigation had taken place in each of them and more particularly, in nine vital matters , under the direct guidance and gaze of the Honourable the Apex Court and therefore, if the Court does not find this operation and its evidence as the part of larger conspiracy, no error much less a significant error of law can be linked with such findings", the High Court said in its order.

However, giving a limited relief to Zakia, the High Court said that she will be at liberty to seek further investigation based on any fresh materials.