SIT submits fresh status report on Gujarat riots

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2002 Gujarat riots, including the killing of ex-Congress MP Ahsan Jafri in which chief minister Narendra Modi has been questioned for his alleged role, today submitted a fresh status report in the Supreme Court.

SIT's chief and former CBI director RK Raghavan submitted the report, the second, in a sealed cover. The agency had earlier in May this year submitted the first status report on the Gujarat riots.

When contacted by PTI, a top official involved with the SIT said the report was in a sealed cover and not for public disclosure.

The SIT' had earlier sought the apex court's permission for further investigations into the alleged involvement of former Gujarat minister G Zadafia and MK Tandon, a senior police officer, besides two other policemen in the killing of Jafri.

The second status report comes a day before a special three-judge Bench of Justice DK Jain, Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Aftab Alam hears the case tomorrow.

The reconstituted SIT headed by RK Raghvan consists of YC Modi, and K Venkateshan, senior cadre IPS officers from Assam and Maharashtra after two other Gujarat cadre IPS officers Geeta Johri and Shivanand Jha were moved out of the the probe panel by the apex court following allegations of their partisan approach.