Zakia Jaffri's charges against Modi

Gandhinagar, March 11: Zakia Jaffri in her petition has levelled serious charges against Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots, and has made out a case of conspiracy and abetment to commit multiple offences of murder.

The charges of conspiracy and abetment to commit multiple offences relate to sections (120 B, 114 r/w 302) of the Indian Penal Code, furnishing false information (177 IPC), false statement as evidence (199 IPC), giving false information about offences committed (203 IPC) and injuring and defiling place of worship (295 IPC), among others.

The major evidence she cited in support of her charges, about commission of offences were instruction of the then director general of police, the then chief secretary and other senior officials, to give vent to the Hindu anger on the minority Muslims in the wake of the Godhra incident, the meeting held on Feb 27, 2002, evening in Gandhinagar as testified in Affidavit No. 4 of R.B. Sreekumar, dated Oct 27, 2005.

The chief minister's decision to bring bodies of those killed in the Godhra train fire to Ahmedabad and parade them in the city, as testified by Ashok Narayan in his cross-examination by the Nanavati Commission, besides numerous instructions given verbally to officials as detailed in the third affidavit by R.B. Sreekumar to the Nanavati Commission dated April 9,2004.

The transfer of officers from field executive posts in the thick of riots in 2002 despite the DGP's objection and the positioning of cabinet minister I.K. Jadeja and Ashok Bhatt in the DGP office and Ahmedabad city control room respectively. DGP Chakravarthi was critical of minister I.K. Jadeja remaining in his chamber, as testified by R.B. Sreekumar in his affidavit, it was pointed out.

Some of the crucial and pertinent issues raised by Zakia Jaffri in her 100-page complaint in 2006 are:

- Why were bodies of Godhra train victims paraded on the streets of Ahmedabad?

- Why was the bandh called by the Sangh Parivar on Feb 27, 2002, not stopped?

- Why are there no records of the meetings held by Modi Feb 27, 2002, onwards?

- Why were no minutes of the meetings held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation from feb 27, 2002, onwards prepared and circulated to the concerned officials?

-Why were bodies of the Godhra train fire victims paraded through the streets of Ahmedabad city and that too when over 50 percent of the dead belonged to places outside Ahmedabad city and a few bodies were not even identified at that juncture?