New Delhi, Sep 12: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today got a major relief when the Supreme Court declined to pass any order on his alleged inaction to contain riots in 2002 and left it to the trial court to decide the course of action against him on the basis of the SIT report.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice D K Jain also said there is no need for its further monitoring of the case.
The bench did not deliver any specific order on the registration of a case against Modi and other government officials who were made party in a complaint filed by wife of slain ex-Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who lost his life in Gulburg society massacre during the riots in Ahmedabad.
The bench, also comprising justices P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam, said the final report of the SIT probe, which was done on the apex court's direction, be placed before the concerned magistrate who will take a decision on the further proceedings.
It, however, made it clear that in case the court decides to close the case it would give an opportunity to Jafri's widow Zakia Jafri to present her views and she will be supplied with the SIT report.
The SIT has reportedly in its confidential report given a clean chit to Modi.
Regarding further monitoring of the case, the apex court said “we are of the opinion that in the instant case we have reached a stage where the process of monitoring of the case must come to an end. It would neither be desirable nor advisable to retain further seisin (as one's own) over this case. We dispose of this appeal accordingly”.
In Ahmedabad, expressing disappointment over the Supreme Court order in the 2002 Gulburg Society riots case, Zakia Jafri, wife of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed in the disturbance, said the real culprits are still roaming free.
“I still have faith in the Supreme Court, but some things have been missed out,” Zakia, whose husband was killed in Gulburg Housing Society massacre, told reporters at her residence in Surat.
“It has been nearly 10 years since the incident. People have been arrested and trial was on against them. However, the real culprits, who were behind the riots are still roaming free,” she said.
Zakia had filed a complaint against Modi and others in the Gulburg Society riots case, based on which, the apex court had asked the SIT to investigate.
Final hearing in the case was on in the special trial court here presided by Judge B J Dhandha. PTI
