Ahmedabad: Ending suspense over his
appearance before the Supreme Court-appointed SIT probing the
2002 Gujarat riots, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to
present himself before the panel on March 27.
"March 27 is the mutually agreed date on which Modi will
appear before Special Investigation Team," his advocate Mahesh
Jethmalani said.
However, Modi told SIT chief RK Raghavan in a letter
that since the hearing on the case is scheduled before the
Supreme Court on April 5, it will be good if the apex court
hears the matter first.
Modi pointed out to the SIT that since the matter,
regarding which summons had been issued to him was pending
before the Supreme Court, propriety demands the SC hears it
first before he appears for SIT questioning, Jethmalani said.
He said the chief minister has also written that in case
the SIT decides to question him on the mutually agreed date of
March 27, he will appear before the panel.
However, SIT chief R K Raghavan refused to comment on the
date.
"It is a privilege communication between the SIT and the
witness and I cannot comment on this," he said.
Confusion had prevailed over the appearance of Modi before
the SIT with its chief saying he would appear on March 21. But
Modi, in an open letter, claimed he was not summoned on that
date.
SIT has summoned Modi to depose in connection with a
complaint of Zakia Jaffery, widow of former Congress MP Eshan
Jaffery, who was killed in Gulburg society riot case of 2002
along with 69 others.
Former BJP MLA Kalu Maliwad had approached the Supreme
Court demanding that SIT should not be allowed to press the
complaint of Zakia Jaffery.
PTI
