Setalvad terms SC verdict on Modi a huge step forward

New Delhi, Sep 12 (ANI): Terming the verdict of the Supreme Court into the 2002 riots case to be a huge step forward, human rights activist Teesta Setalvad on Monday said the decision to direct a Gujarat trial court to examine Chief Minister Narendra Modi's alleged role into the case cannot be considered as his victory.

In a relief to Modi, the apex court earlier in the day refused to pass any order on his alleged inaction to contain the 2002 Gujarat riots after the Godhra carnage and referred the matter to the concerned magistrate in Ahmedabad for a decision.

"My first reaction is, I would urge the media not to misunderstand and misinterpret the order. It is far from a clean chit to Modi or anyone else, it is a complex order that respects the process of law. We have sent our entire complaint to the magistrate for consideration," Setalvad told mediapersons here.

"The entire complaint of Zakia Ehsan Jafri and CJP along with the SIT (Special Investigation Team) report and the amicus report, which differed with SIT, will be sent to the magistrate for consideration, for further charge sheeting file and for all accused to be arranged, including Narendra Modi. So, it is now being sent to the magistrate for consideration under the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure)," she added.

Asserting that SIT investigation and the amicus reports will together form a part of the chargesheet before the magistrate, Setalvad further said the prayer of the petitioner had been granted by the Supreme Court.

"I would also like to state that now this is a post-FIR (First Information Report) stage because our prayers and our petition, the prayer in our petition was for registration of an FIR and transfer of the investigation to an independent agency. So, our prayer has been more than granted because the SIT investigation and the amicus reports will together form a part of the chargesheet before the magistrate," said Setalvad.

"So, this is a huge step forward in our quest for justice. As petitioners, our only regret is that the investigation will remain with the SIT, a body that in our view is discredited," she added.

Meanwhile, Tanvir Jafri, the son of a riot victim, also expressed his satisfaction with the Supreme Court verdict into the case.

"I am satisfied with the order given by Supreme Court. The investigation done by SIT and the amicus report submitted to the magistrate has stated my mother's complaint as part of the chargesheet, which will be presented before the magistrate in the Gulburg society massacre," said Jafri.

"An FIR has already been registered in the Gulburg society case; this investigative report is an additional chargesheet, which will be presented to the magistrate," he added.

A three-judge apex court bench headed by Justice D K Jain directed the SIT, which is probing the riot cases, to submit its final report before the magistrate who was asked to decide whether to proceed against Modi and 63 others, which includes senior government officials.

The bench made it clear that there was no need for it to further monitor the riot cases.

The bench, which also comprised Justices P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam, said in case the magistrate decides to drop proceedings against Modi and others, he has to hear the plea of slain MP Ehsan Jafri's widow Zakia Jafri, who had filed a complaint against the Gujarat Chief Minister.

The apex court passed the order on a petition by Zakia Jafri alleging that Modi and 62 top government officials deliberately refused to take action to contain the state-wide riots, triggered by the February 27, 2002 Godhra train carnage. (ANI)