2002 riots: SC clears PM Modi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the SIT's clean chit to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and 63 others in the 2002 riots in the state and dismissed a plea by slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri's wife Zakia who had alleged a larger conspiracy.

Congress leader and former MP Ehsan Jafri was among the 68 people killed at Ahmedabad's Gulberg Society during violence on February 28, 2002, a day after the Godhra train burning that claimed 59 lives.

Union minister Anurag Thakur said, "Satyamev Jayate! Supreme Court of India gives a clean chit and has dismissed the plea filed by Zakia Jafri challenging the SC-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) report on post-Godhra violence in Gujarat. The Supreme Court says the petition is without merit."

Bringing the curtains down on the bid to reopen the probe, a bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said the material collected during the investigation does not give rise to strong or grave suspicion regarding hatching of larger criminal conspiracy at the highest level for causing mass violence against Muslims.

The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and C T Ravikumar, termed Zakia Jafri's plea devoid of merit. It spoke of the devious stratagem to keep the pot boiling, obviously, for ulterior design and said all those involved in such abuse of process need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with law.

Zakia Jafri had challenged the SIT's clean chit to 64 people, including Modi who was the Gujarat chief minister at the time, and alleged a larger conspiracy.

The apex court appreciated the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for its indefatigable work in challenging circumstances and said it has come out with flying colours unscathed.

The top court said no fault can be found with the SIT's approach and its February 8, 2012 final report is backed by firm logic, expositing analytical mind and dealing with all aspects objectively for discarding the allegations regarding larger criminal conspiracy

The riots that it triggered killed 1,044 people, mostly Muslims.