The Supreme Court today allowed apex-court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief RK Raghavan, probing the 2002 Gujarat riots cases, to be relieved from the duty of heading the team on health grounds.
A bench comprising Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justices DY Chandrachud and SK Kaul also relieved K Venkatesam from his role in the SIT, after being appointed the chief of Nagpur police
The bench hailed the work done so far by the SIT and asked AK Malhotra, another member of the team, to continue with the probe alone and file quarterly reports.
The court considered the submission of senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, that Raghavan be relieved from the duty of heading the SIT.
In 2002, riots between Hindu and Muslim communities in Gujarat erupted across the state, resulted in countless deaths. Former Gujarat minister and BJP member Maya Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in prison for her involvement in the case by a trial court but the High Court later relaxed her sentence due to her ill health.
The top court-appointed SIT has been probing nine major post-Godhra riots cases including the Naroda Gam riots case pertaining to the killing of eleven members of a community.
