2002 riots: Guj HC adjourns hearing on plea for summoning Modi

Ahmedabad, Dec 16: The Gujarat High Court today adjourned hearing till December 26 on a plea seeking direction for the Nanavati Commission to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning in connection with the 2002 riots.

On April 22, a division bench of the then chief Justice S J Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi had reserved the order on petition by an NGO representing some of the riot victims, Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM), seeking questioning of the Chief Minister and seven others.

But with Justice Mukhopadhaya being elevated to Supreme Court in September the matter has been placed before another bench consisting of Justice Kureshi and Justice Sonia Gokani, which came up for hearing today.

Justice Kureshi today directed government pleader P K Jani to get information from the state government about the possibility of extension to the Nanavati Commission, the term of which gets over on December 31.

The court said that after hearing the matter the order should be meaningful and having such a short time to decide on the plea puts strain on it.

It directed Jani to inform by December 19, in a confidential manner, about the possibility of extension for the Nanavati panel which was constituted in March 2002.

The court also said that after getting information from government the hearing would begin from December 26.

The Nanavati Commission comprises of retired Justices G T Nanavati and Akshay Mehta. The riot panel's term has been extended 17 times so far by the state
government.

PTI