SC says no to new SIT probe against Modi

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a petition seeking to reconstitute the Special Investigation Team for probing the 2002 Gujarat riots…….The petitioner, Advocate Fatima, had questioned the clean chit given to Chief Minister Narendra Modi by the apex court appointed SIT and wanted the SIT to be reconstituted with a retired Supreme Court judge as its member.

‘‘Reconstitution of SIT at this stage is not good,” the Bench observed, which prompted the petitioner to withdraw her petition.

The SIT headed by former CBI chief R K Raghavan was appointed by the Supreme Court to probe nine cases related to the 2002 riots. In its 541-page report, the SIT said no evidence was found to prosecute Modi in any of the nine cases. The Apex Court had earlier expressed satisfaction over the SIT’s probe.

At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were burned and hacked to death during the 2002 Gujarat riots, for which the Congress and some other parties have squarely blamed Modi in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Human rights groups and political rivals have long alleged that Modi allowed or even actively encouraged the 2002 attacks. Modi has always vehemently denied the charge, insisting that he did all that he could to stop the violence.