Gujarat HC issues notices to SIT

The Gujarat High Court issued notices to Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the state government in response to an application filed by Kalubhai Hirabhai Malival, a BJP MLA from Lunavada, challenging the investigation being done against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 65 others in post-Godhra riots cases of 2002 by the SIT.

Justice R S Shukla issued notices to SIT chief R K Raghvan, who is former CBI Director, and the state Home Department seeking their explanations about the application filed by Mr Malival challenging the investigation being done against Mr Modi and others by the SIT.

The Supreme Court had directed the SIT to ‘look into the complaints of riots against all government officials, minister and others, including Modi’ in post-Godhra riots cases of 2002.

In its re-investigation, the SIT has arrested several people, including several BJP, VHP leaders, and IPS officers, from Gujarat.

It had also arrested former state lady minister Dr Mayaben Kodnani and state VHP general secretary Dr Jaydeep Patel.

Mr Malival, in his application, has stated that the apex court has told the SIT ‘to look into the complaints’ and did not mean that it (SIT) should re-investigate those cases and arrest people in that connection.

Mr Malival has also sought court’s directive that Mr Modi should be spared as his name is not mentioned in any of the FIRs filed in riots cases.

The notices are returnable by June 16.

The apex court had constituted SIT in 2008 to re-investigate nine major cases of Gujarat riots. The riots were sparked off with burning alive of 59 karsevaks at Godhra railway station, while they were returning from Ayodhya on February 26, 2002 and had lasted for 3 months between March-May, 2002.

The communal riots had engulfed entire Gujarat for three months claiming hundreds of lives and causing destruction to property worth several hundred crores.