Gujarat court to hear closure report of SIT in Gulbarg Society massacre case

Ahmedabad/Surat, Feb 13 (ANI): A trial court in Ahmedabad will hear the closure report filed by the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the Gulbarg Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The court will also take up the pleas of slain Congress MP Eshan Jafri's wife, Zakia Jafri, and social activists Teesta Setalvad and Mukul Sinha, who have sought copies of the SIT report.

Speaking to ANI reporter in Surat on Monday, Zakia Jafri said she had full faith in judiciary and Allah, and was optimistic about the court passing an order in her favour.

"I have full faith in the court of justice and God Almighty, he is watching us and he will surely deliver justice in my favour, I have complete faith in Him," said Jafri.

She further said that in case the court doesn't decide in her favour, she would not give up and take her fight further.

"I have not given up hope yet, if the decision comes in my favour I would be very happy but if it doesn't then I have enough strength in me to continue my fight further," she added.

Last week, SIT had filed a closure report in the sealed cover on the complaint of Zakia Jafri, allegedly giving a clean chit to Gurajat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the case.

Jafri in her complaint had sought prosecution of Modi, along with 57 others, for aiding and abetting in the 2002 Gujarat communal riots.

Ehsan Jaffri was among the 69 persons killed in the Gulbarg Housing society riots in 2002.

On September 12 last year, the Supreme Court had refused to pass any order on Modi's alleged inaction in containing riots in 2002 and left it to the concerned magistrate's court to decide the course of action against him on the basis of the SIT report.

In the petition, Zakia had alleged that Modi and 62 top government officials deliberately refused to take action to contain the state-wide riots, triggered by the February 27, 2002 Godhra train carnage.

The SC had further said that in case the magistrate decides to drop proceedings against Modi and others, he has to hear the plea of Zakia, who had filed a complaint against the chief minister and others.

Jafri had told the apex court that a proper probe should be carried out by the SIT, headed by former CBI chief R K Raghavan, into her allegations of inaction and various acts of omission and commission by Modi and others during the riots.

The apex court in 2009 had handed over the task of probing the case to SIT which submitted its report in 2011. (ANI)