Modi does not appear before SIT Sunday

Gandhinagar, March 21: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to depose Sunday, on accusations made by Zakia Jaffri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri killed during the 2002 communal riots.

This was as expected for SIT chief R.K.Raghavan was not present here nor was there any indication that the Gujarat chief minister was likely to present himself before it.

The SIT had issued a notice to Modi March 11 seeking his deposition during the week beginning March 21 on the issues raised by Zakia Jaffri, widow of the former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri killed along with many others in the Gulberg Society in Ahmedabad during the 2002 riots following the Godhra train carnage.

While the SIT notice said the chief minister could depose at any time in the week beginning March 21, there was no response from the chief minister's office beyond acknowledgement that the notice had been received.

Modi has been named as an accused along with 63 others, who include politicians, bureaucrats and police officers, in a complaint filed by Zakia Jafri for their role in the larger conspiracy behind the communal riots.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kalu Maliwad has already approached the Supreme Court with the plea to quash its own order asking SIT to probe into Zakia's complaint. The matter is slated to come up before the apex court next month.