SIT YET TO CALL ANY WITNESS TO MODI’S ROLE IN RIOTS

Nearly two months after the Supreme Court issued an order to look into the petition lodged by Zakia Jafri against 63 people including Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the Gulberg Society massacre, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is yet to record statement of any of the witnesses in the case. This was revealed by SIT Convenor Geetha Johari in her affidavit before the Gujarat High Court on June 16. Former BJP legislator Kalu Malivad, one of the 63 named by Jafri – the widow of the slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri – has filed a petition in the High Court with a prayer to restrain SIT from probing into the petition. In the petition, Malivad’s counsel, S B Vakil, said SIT cannot probe into the petition following the Supreme Court’s order as no complaint has been registered in connection with the case. The HC had issued notices to various respondents including Johari. In her reply, Johari stated before High Court Justice H N Devani, “…although the officer in charge of the police station is legally bound to register a First Information Report…the same by itself however does not take away the right of the competent officer to make a preliminary inquiry in a case like this in order to find out as to whether the report sought to be lodged had any substance or not.” Johari has further stated that according to the apex court order, steps are being taken by the SIT in getting the concerned witnesses questioned and statements recorded to find truth in the allegations made by Jafri.