Zakia Jafri challenges SC's clean chit to PM Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots

New Delhi: The Special Investigation Team formed to look into the 2002 Gujarat riots case ignored crucial evidence and filed a closure report without conducting a proper investigation, Zakia Jafri, the wife of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed in the violence, told the Supreme Court on Wednesday, according to Live Law.

The SIT did not record statements, seize phones, check how bombs were manufactured and straightaway filed closure reports contended the 81-year-old, who has challenged the investigative team's clean chit to then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari, and CT Ravikumar heard the matter on Wednesday, 10 November.

Meanwhile, the special investigation team on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that Zakia Jafri's complaint was thoroughly examined. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the team, said that Zakia Jafri's complaint was "threadbare" and the statements in the case were recorded.

However, the Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Jafri, told the top court that instead of taking cognisance of the evidence, the probe was carried out in a way to whitewash the entire investigation, Bar & Bench reported.

The "fact of the matter is", Sibal told the bench "there was to be an investigation…. If there is no investigation, what was the purpose of the Supreme Court constituting the SIT?"

The senior advocate said he is "not accusing A or B" but a message must be sent to the world that this is "unacceptable" and "cannot be tolerated".

He said this is a "historic matter" because the choice is between ensuring that rule of law will prevail or letting people run amok.

Ehsan Jafri, a former MP, was among the 68 people killed in the violence, a day after the S-6 Coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra killing 59 people.

On October 26, the apex court had said it would like to peruse the closure report of the SIT giving the clean chit to 64 persons and the justification given by the magisterial court while accepting it.

Sibal had earlier argued that Jafri's complaint was that there was a larger conspiracy where there was bureaucratic inaction, police complicity, hate speeches and unleashing of violence".

On February 8, 2012, the SIT had filed a closure report giving a clean chit to Modi, now the prime minister, and 63 others, including senior government officials, saying there was "no prosecutable evidence" against them.