SC adjourns hearing against Modi till December 12

New Delhi, Dec 10 (UNI) The Supreme Court today adjourned till December 12 the hearing of the two applications seeking action against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly justifying the killing of Sohrabbudin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi by Gujarat police in a fake encounter.

A bench, comprising Justices Tarun Chatterjee and Dalveer Bhandari, said they will first decide on the maintainability of the two applications.

As the prosecution and the defence indulged in heated arguments, the court retorted, ''we are not used to work in such a charged atmosphere. Let passions cool down.'' Petitioners in their applications have asked for a number of relief measures which are ''self contradictory and confusing''. For instance, one application has prayed for a CBI enquiry against Mr Modi and has also sought his prosecution for contempt of court.

Another application has sought directions for constituting a Special Investigaing Team (SIT). Applicants have also prayed for shifting of the trial in the Sohrabbudin encounter case outside Gujarat and for stay of the trial court proceedings till the final disposal of the two applications.

UNI