Gujarat Riots: SIT gives report to Supreme Court

Mangalore Today / PTI

New Delhi, April 25: Narendra Modi’s alleged role in the Gujarat riots of 2002 is discussed once again in a new report submitted to the Supreme Court today. The case will be heard on Wednesday.

The report has been prepared by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed to study the riots in which nearly 1200 people were killed.

 

 

Headlining the SIT’s study has been the matter of whether Mr Modi as Chief Minister and other senior ministers asked police officers to ignore calls for help by those who were being targeted.

That is what Zakia Jafri has claimed - her husband, former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri -was set on fire in Ahmedabad’s Gulbarga Society in February 2002. The SIT, in May last year, submitted its findings on Mrs Jafri’s case to the Supreme Court.  The court then asked for more details and further investigation. 

But last week, a senior police officer in Gujarat alleged the same. Sanjiv Bhatt who was posted with the Intelligence Department in 2002, has complained to the Supreme Court that the SIT dismissed the information he provided against Modi with undue haste. Mr Bhatt claims that at a meeting with a group of about eight police officers on February 27, 2002, Mr Modi "further impressed upon the gathering that for too long the Gujarat police had been following the principle of balancing the actions against Hindus and Muslims while dealing with communal riots in Gujarat. This time the situation warranted that ’the Muslims be taught a lesson to ensure that such incidents do not recur ever again.’ The Chief Minister expressed the view that the emotions were running very high amongst the Hindus and it was imperative that they be allowed to ’vent out their anger’." (Read: Full text of affidavit)

Mr Modi, who was interrogated by the SIT last year, has testified that Mr Bhatt was not present at that meeting. Other police officers who were at the meeting have backed the Chief Minister. 

The SIT in its report today is likely to give its version of its session with Mr Bhatt.