When is ‘mature’ time to summon Modi, asks HC

The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday asked the state Advocate General when the time would be “mature” enough to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others before the State-appointed commission probing the 2002 Godhra train attack and the Gujarat riots that followed.

Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhaya made the oral query to the AG while hearing a petition challenging the order of the Justice G T Nanavati-Justice Akshay Mehta Commission which rejected a plea to summon Modi and six others in September last year.

Appearing on behalf of the State before the Division Bench headed by the Chief Justice, the AG told the court that the Commission passed the order not to summon the seven because it was “premature” at that time.

The Chief Justice then asked when would be a “mature” time to summon them, as the term of the Commission is ending in June this year.

The Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) had moved the application before the commission to summon Modi and the others for their alleged role in the riots. Apart from Modi, the list included the then home minister Gordhan Zadafia, then health minister (present Speaker) Ashok Bhatt, then DCP of Ahmedabad City R J Savani and three staff members of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) — Omprakash Singh, Tanmay Mehta and Sanjay Bhavsar.

Appearing on behalf of JSM, Mukul Sinha pointed out that since the Terms of Reference of the commisison has provision to summon the Chief Minister and others, it cannot turn down the application to summon them.

The next hearing of the petition has been scheduled for February 15.

Geetha Johri offers to quit SIT

RAJKOT: A week after the Supreme Court pulled up the Gujarat police for improper investigation into the Sohrabuddin encounter case, senior IPS officer Geetha Johri, who is one of the three Gujarat police officers in the SC-appointed Special Investigation Team investigating the cases related to the Godhra riots, offered to quit the SIT on Wednesday. Johri, who currently holds the post of Rajkot Police Commissioner, said: “I am a professional and can do my work. But I cannot handle politics.”

‘Saw Kodnani firing from pistol’

AHMEDABAD: Eyewitness in the Naroda Patiya massacre case, Amina Belif on Wednesday told the special trial court in Ahmedabad that on February 28, 2002, she saw BJP MLA Maya Kodnani at Naroda Patiya. She said Kodnani pointed towards the mosque and the Muslim locality and told the mob to attack it. The mob then threw stones and burning rags at the Muslim houses, Belif said, adding that she also saw Kodnani firing from a pistol.

Belif called up Naroda Police Station where a person introduced himself as (then Senior Police Inspector K K) Mysorewala. She claimed he told her police were on leave and “you all have to die”.

Source: Indian Express