Ahmedabad: VHP international general
secretary Pravin Togadia has agreed to appear before the
special investigation team (SIT), probing the 2002 riot cases,
on May 10.
He conveyed this to SIT member A K Malhotra through a
letter dated April 30 written by his lawyer Deepak Shukla.
Togadia was called for questioning by SIT on April 19 in
connection with the complaint of Zakia Jaffery, wife of slain
ex-MP Ehsan Jaffery, who was among the 69 killed in the
Gulburg society riots on February 28, 2002. However he failed
to appear before it.
SIT member Malhotra in his reply to Shukla`s letter said
although SIT was required to submit its report by the end of
April 2010, SC has extended the period by 15 days.
He further pointed out that "his (Togadia`s) late
appearance would cause a lot of inconvenience in finalisation
of the report (which they have to submit to Supreme Court)."
"I hope Shri Togadia will keep up his appointment and
cooperates with the SIT," Malhotra wrote in the letter dated
May 5 to Shukla.
Malhotra has also declined Shukla`s request for presence
of advocates at the time of Togadia`s questioning.
On Shukla`s request in the letter that Togadia being
diabetic and a heart patient requires medication from time to
time, Malhotra said a medical advisor could accompany Togadia.
Zakia in her complaint had alleged that Chief Minister
Narendra Modi and 62 others including his cabinet colleagues,
police officials and senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the
post-Godhra riots.
According to Zakia`s complaint Togadia whose name appears
as accused 20, "collaborated with the other accused in
perpetration of violence in pursuance of the conspiracy".
SIT had also questioned Modi for over nine hours on March
27.
The Supreme Court on April 27, 2009 had asked the SIT to
inquire into Zakia`s complaint. She had approached the apex
court after the Gujarat High Court refused on November 3, 2007
to give any direction and asked her to seek redressal before
the Magistrate`s Court.
Besides Modi, SIT has also recorded statements of a
number of persons named in her complaint including former
minister of state for Home Gordhan Zadafia, BJP leader I K
Jadeja, former BJP MLA from Lunawada Kalu Malivad, sitting MLA
from Mehsana Anil Patel, ex-IPS officer R B Sreekumar, social
activist Teesta Setalvad, IG Shivanand Jha.
PTI
