Ahmedabad: Any clean chit to Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi in 2002 riot cases would be a "big
worry" for democracy and criminal justice system of the
country, former CM Suresh Mehta said on Thursday.
In a letter to R K Raghavan, Chairman of the Supreme
Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing some
of the post-Godhra riot cases, he said a clean chit to the BJP
stalwart will also be a critical reflection on the agency.
Mehta appealed to SIT to break its silence on recent
media reports that Modi had been absolved with regards to the
large-scale communal violence, triggered by Godhra train
carnage in February 2002.
"If the media reports are true, then it would be a big
worry for democracy and criminal justice system of the
country," the former Chief Minister maintained.
"SIT`s silence on the issue is likely to shake the
trust people have in an investigating agency like them," Mehta
said and described the media reports as selective leaks.
He said SIT was not a judicial court and it was
improper for the agency to make any judgemental statements,
especially when investigations are yet to complete.
In the letter, the former BJP leader provided a list
of points on which SIT needs to investigate and "apply mind".
He said if SIT completely ignores riot victim Zakia
Jaffery`s complaint implicating Modi and 63 others in riots,
it would be a shameful event in the history of Gujarat.
"My letter to you becomes relevant as it has been
nearly two months since the media reports appeared and over
three months have passed since the Supreme Court ruling on
Zakia`s complaint (which has been referred to the lower court
in Ahmedabad)."
PTI
