Guj CM claims to have answered all questions by team investigating 2002 carnage
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court to inquire into the Gulbarg Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots will be in a position to file its report by April 30, its chief R K Raghavan has said. A marathon nine-hour questioning of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was held in two sessions yesterday, the second one concluding well past midnight.
“I have been told by SIT that your work is over,” said Modi after the questioning, adding that he had recalled to the extent possible the sequence of events which had taken place eight years ago and had answered all questions asked by SIT. Though there was no official word, Modi is said to have replied to 62 out of 68 questions put to him.
SIT is inquiring into Modi’s alleged role in a mob attack on a housing society in which Congress ex-MP Ehsan Jafri and 68 others were killed. Modi was questioned by a team of officers headed by A K Malhotra, a former CBI DIG. Raghavan was not present at the questioning.
“Vistaar se batcheet ki (we spoke in detail),” said Modi, adding: “Under the Indian Constitution, the law is supreme. As a common man, I am bound by the Indian Constitution and the law. No one can be above the law.” He added: “This was the first time in eight years that someone wanted to speak to me on the issue and I attended it.” He also took a dig at his critics, saying, “May God give good sense to those who said I have not spoken for eight years.”
Asked if the questions put to him related to only the Gulbarg Society case, Modi said: “Questions ranged from February 27 (2002) till the elections.” He refused to comment on the number of questions put to him.
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When asked if he was satisfied with the investigations, the chief minister said: “The Supreme Court has to be satisfied.” Modi has become the first chief minister of any state to be questioned in connection with a criminal complaint of mass murder after he and his administration were accused of aiding and abetting riots in one area in Ahmedabad in 2002. He was summoned for questioning following a complaint by Zakia Jafri, widow of Ehsan Jafri.
The complaint stated there was a wider conspiracy by Modi and his administration and that he had instructed officers not to take action “against the rioting Hindus”.
Speaking to some reporters, Raghavan said the questioning of Modi was a “very big step forward” in trying to understand and unravel the mysteries in the case. “I have greatest concern for the victims and I have never failed to take my eye away from justice. I am conscious of the sacred trust bestowed by the Supreme Court,” he said. Raghavan added he and Malhotra had “broadly discussed the questions to be put to Modi”, but was yet to discuss the answers given by him. “He (Malhotra) looks fresh and relaxed. I have not spoken to him (about the answers) yet.”
Asked why he did not question Modi, Raghavan said as the chief of SIT he did not meet the witnesses or the accused. “It is the job of the investigating officer or the inquiry officer to do so. It is a good old practice that is followed by CBI... The director never does the examination. I have brought in this practice here. It’s a fair and healthy practice,” he said.
On whether he was under any political pressure, Raghavan said: “Do I look like a man under pressure? I am relaxed. (I was under) absolutely no pressure. I am doing my duty.”
He also declined to comment on whether a case would be registered on the basis of the questioning of Modi.
| Stage show Ignoring calls of shunning a function attended by Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Sunday shared the dais with the Gujarat chief minister at a convocation in Gandhinagar, hours after he was questioned by SIT in a 2002 riots case. Some of the victims and kin of Congress ex-MP Ehsan Jafri had made an online appeal urging the CJI and Justice A M Ebrahim, former judge of Zimbabwe Supreme Court, to not share the stage with Modi at the first convocation of Gujarat National Law University. At the function, Balakrishnan was seen sitting on Modi’s right, while Gujarat High Court Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhyay was on his left. During his address, Justice Ebrahim acknowledged Modi for his statement yesterday after his questioning by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT that “no one can be above the law”. Justice Ebrahim said, he “very much agreed” with Modi’s statement. The Gujarat chief minister did not give any speech during the convocation. |