In a reprieve to the Narendra Modi government, the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to order a CBI inquiry into the alleged mass burial of 22 victims of the post-Godhra riots.

The court was annoyed at the belated decision of the petitioner, Ammenabi Habib Rasool, a family member of one of the alleged victims, to approach the court. “After how many years have you come? It’s seven years,” remarked the bench comprising Justice B N Aggrawal and Justice J M Panchal, dismissing the petition filed through counsel Aparna Bhat.

The petitioner, who sought a probe by either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the burial of the March 2002 victims, claimed that about 102 victims of the minority community were killed by mobs on March 1, 2002, at Pandharwada and Limadiya Chowky area in Godhra district. Out of those killed, 22 were buried by the authorities without the consent or the knowledge of the family members. The petitioner prayed for an impartial and independent probe to identify and prosecute the police and other persons responsible for the burial.

Pointing out that the trial court had already passed a direction to the state government in December 2008 for handing over the remains of the bodies to the family members of the deceased, it said that it would be appropriate for the petitioner to approach the same court if the orders were not complied with by the state.

The court said: “You are not remedy-less. Why do you want to come to this court? You can go to the trial court for relief.”

... contd.