Ahmedabad: The Metropolitan Magistrate hearing the protest petition filed by Zakia Jafri against the Supreme Court appointed SIT`s closure report giving clean chit to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and others in the post Godhra riots case, was transferred today as part of a routine exercise by the high court registrar.
Metropolitan Magistrate B J Ganatra, who has been hearing the Jafri case since SIT filed its closure report on February 8, 2012, has been transferred as 4th Additional Senior Civil Judge and Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Anand by the order of Registrar General of the Gujarat High Court R P Dholaria.
"Now, we have to argue from the beginning in the protest petition after the new Magistrate takes charge," SIT lawyer R S Jamuar told PTI today.
SIT has been arguing against the protest petition, making submissions in defence of the closure report for last six days and after the completion of its arguments, advocate for Jafri was to begin his submissions.
Zakia Jafri, wife of post-Godhra riots victim and former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, in her protest petition, has sought the filing of chargesheet against Modi and 58 others who she had named in her complaint filed before the Supreme Court.
She had also sought further investigations by an independent agency other than the SIT.
In a major but routine shake up in the subordinate courts, Gujarat High Court has also ordered the transfers of 195 senior civil judges and 87 civil judges in 21 districts.
High Court has also transferred ACJM of the CBI court in Ahmedabad A Y Dave hearing Tulsi Prajapati encounter case. ACJM Bhuj B G Joshi will take over his charge.
PTI
