SC notices to Centre, Guj in Gulbarg Society massacre case

New Delhi, Mar 3 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notices to the Centre and the state of Gujarat on a petition seeking CBI inquiry into the killing of former Congress MP Ahsan Jafri during 2002 Gujarat communal violence.

A bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P Sathasivam issued notices after hearing counsel for the petitioner Zakia Jafri, wife of Jafri.

The counsel for the petitioner contended before the court that the state police was conducting investigation with the sole aim of shielding the culprits and many facts have not been taken on record by the police.

The apex court was also told by the petitioner that Narendra Modi government was making all possible efforts to mislead the investigation and such attitude creates reasonable apprehension in the mind of the petitioner that culprits will never be brought to book untill the investigation is transferred to any independent agency like CBI.

Teesta Setalvad, social activist and counsel for the petitioner has also prayed to the court to initiate the prosecution of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 62 senior officials including IPS and IAS officers and a state minister for the offence of blocking free and fair investigation into the riots cases which were sparked off by the Godhra train burning incident of 2002 in which more than 50 Kar Sevaks were burnt alive.

The case is popularly known as Gulbarg Society massacre in which the ex Congress MP and his family members were killed.

UNI AKS/SC KK DS1637