Gujarat riots: SC dismisses Zakia Jafri’s plea against SIT's clean chit to Modi

The Supreme Court on Friday (June 24) turned down a plea of Zakia Jafri, the wife of slain MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar upheld the Special Metropolitan Magistrate’s order rejecting Jafri’s protest petition against the closure report filed by the SIT.

Upholding the Gujarat High Court order, the top court said Jafri’s plea was devoid of merit.

A former MP, Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed in Gulberg Society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, a day after a coach of the Sabarmati Express was burnt at Godhra, killing 59 people and triggering riots in Gujarat.

The SIT, in a closure report filed on February 8, 2012, had given a clean chit to Modi and 63 others, stating that there was no “prosecutable evidence” against them.

(With inputs from agencies)