The last attempt to keep Gujarat riots alive gets buried by Supreme Court

Gujarat riots 2002 are still remembered as one of the most successful media stories for left-liberals. It had all that they needed for a successful anti-BJP and anti-Hindu agenda. A Hindu nationalist CM, the resurging BJP, and communal violence, which is anyways believed by them to be against minorities. The opposition, liberals and anti-India elements kept the riots alive to attack the saffron party and the Hindus. Unfortunately, they will not be able to cook the stories further as the last attempt to keep Gujarat 2002 riots alive gets buried by Supreme Court.

PM Modi’s clean chit upheld by SC

In a huge relief to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal by Zakia Jafri, wife of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). For those unaware, Ehsan Jafri was killed during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

A bench presided by Justice A M Khanwilkar upheld the decision of the Ahmedabad metropolitan magistrate accepting closure report submitted by the SIT. The bench, thus, rejected the protest petition filed by Jafri against accepting the report.

The Supreme Court held that Zakia’s appeal was “devoid of merits and deserves to be dismissed”.

Zakia had appealed to the court challenging the October 5, 2017 Gujarat High Court order in which it upheld the decision of the magistrate court to accept the closure report.

During the hearing, Zakia told the court that “The SIT had come to the conclusion that no case was made out and it was accepted by the magistrate and this finding was erroneously reiterated by the high court, despite large amount of documentation and contemporaneous evidence that existed which meritoriously made out a triable case against all the accused.”

Gujarat riots 2002

27^th February 2002, a day which shook India. Sabarmati Express which runs between Ahmedabad and Varanasi had made its scheduled stop at Godhra Junction at about 7.45 AM, four hours behind its schedule. As the train started departing from the Godhra Junction platform, someone pulled the emergency brake and the train stopped near the signal. The driver of the train Raghunathrao Jadav and his assistant Mukesh Pachauri both stated that the chain had been pulled multiple times, judging by the instruments in their cabin. The train was surrounded by a mob from all sides. The mob attacked the train and after heavy stone pelting, set four coaches of the train on fire. The forensic lab report which came out later stated that 60 litres of inflammable liquid had been poured into the coach S-6 of the train. Due to this heinous act, 59 innocent people including 27 women and 10 children were burnt to death.

The 59-innocent people were devotees of Bhagwan Rama or kar sevaks who had been to the holy town of Ayodhya to take part in the Purnahuti Maha Yagya at the behest of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). They were returning home after taking part in the Yagya and after getting the blessings of Lord Rama from the holy town of Ayodhya. Unfortunately, they did not return home. The group which consisted of all kinds of people, the young as well as the elderly, women as well as children were brutally murdered. They were burnt alive by a mob of miscreants and the incident by itself acted like a trigger for the now infamous 2002 Gujarat riots.

It was a three-day period of inter-communal violence. Following the initial riot incidents, there were further outbreaks of violence in Ahmedabad for three months. As per the official figures, the riots ended with 1,044 dead, 223 missing, and 2,500 injured. Other sources estimated death tolls in excess of 2,000. Notably, many brutal killings and rapes were reported on as well as widespread looting and destruction of property.

In April 2012, the three-member SIT formed in 2008 by the Supreme Court as a response to a petition by one of the aggrieved in the Gulmerg massacre absolved Modi of any involvement in the Gulberg massacre, arguably the worst episode of the riots.

Zakia, however, challenged the decision, and PM Modi kept facing criticism. Not anymore. The chapter is over and PM Modi has been proven innocent.