Modi and Co get breather; SIT finds no evidence in riot case

Ahmedabad, Feb 9: In what can be considered a breather for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) on Wednesday gave a clean chit to him in his alleged involvement in the 2002 Godhra riots. The SIT filed its closure summary before the metropolitan court on the case filed by Zakia Jafri, the widow of slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri.

Modi along with 62 other accused has been relieved in the case filed by Zakia. The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the SIT to probe the allegation made by Zakia on the Gulbarg Society massacre that saw the death of 67 people. She had stated that there was a larger conspiracy behind the attacks.

The probe agency headed by former CBI chief R K Raghavan could not find any evidence on this to make Modi and others culpable.

On Sept 12, 2011, the Supreme Court had shifted the case on Zakia's petition to the trial court on the basis of the SIT's report. Zakia had also lodged an FIR with the director general of police against 63 persons including Modi. In the event of the FIR not being accepted, she moved the High Court.

The Gujarat High Court had slammed Modi and others for "inaction and negligence" during the riots, citing that that this had resulted in an "anarchic" situation.

OneIndia News