SIT in a hurry to wrap up case due to polls: Zakia’s lawyer

Seeking more time to file a protest application challenging Special Investigation Team's closure report on a complaint on the 2002 riots by Zakia Jafri, her lawyer told the Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court Friday that investigators were trying to wrap up the case in a hurry in view of the coming Assembly elections.

Zakia's counsel S M Vora told the court that SIT was pressing his client to file the protest application in a jiffy as elections were around the corner and the accused number one in the matter happened to be Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Zakia further alleged that SIT had been shielding powerful politicians and police officers, named as accused in the case, since the beginning.

She also challenged the locus standi of SIT during the hearing, saying that as per the order of the Supreme Court, SIT's role in the case was to further investigate the allegations and file a report. Since SIT has already filed its report, it has no locus standi in the case any more, she said in an application.

Following this, magistrate B J Ganatra asked Zakia to file a separate application on SIT's locus standi on October 17. The court reserved its order on granting further time for filing protest application against the SIT report.

Earlier, the court had asked Zakia to file a protest petition by October 12 against the report after SIT argued that there should not be any delay in the court proceedings as per Supreme Court's guideline of conducting the case on day-to-day basis.

Zakia has accused Modi and 62 others, including politicians and police officials, of failing to discharge their duties during the 2002 riots.

ALSO READ

Astronomy buffs geared up for meteor shower

Narendra Modi dials Lalu, enquires about health after car accident

From Ramdev stage in Haridwar, Modi swears by gurus of all hues

PIL puts Tata Motors, state govt in the dock over Nano deal