Thursday, December 13, 2012

Zakia challenges SIT's right to be heard in her case

October 12, 2012 21:02 IST
Zakia Jafri, the wife of former Congress Member of Parliament Ehsan
Jafri (who was killed in 2002 Gujarat riots), today took objection to
the Special Investigation
Team `locus standi' at the hearing on her application seeking more
time to file protest petition against SIT's closure report giving
clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi [ Images ] and 61
others.
"As per the Supreme Court orders, the SIT has completed investigation
and filed its report, now this is purely an issue between the
complainant (Zakia) and the court. SIT can now come into picture when
court takes final decision on the report," said her lawyer, advocate S
M Vora.
At the last hearing, Magistrate B J Ganatra had asked Zakia to file
her protest petition against the SIT report by today. But she sought
more time.
The SIT's lawyer objected, saying that she had had enough time to
study the report, given to her in May this year. "She should be asked
to file protest petition as soon as possible," said advocate R S
Jamuar.
To which, Zakia's lawyer said SIT had no right to raise such an
objection at this stage.
Zakia, in her complaint, has made accusations against Modi and others
with regard to handling of the 2002 riots, but SIT has found no
substance in it.
Zakia, in her latest application, alleges that SIT was pressuring her
to file the protest petition at the earliest, because it wanted final
order in the case at the time of assembly elections in Gujarat, slated
for December.
The Court has now asked her to submit an application on October 17
challenging the locus standi (right to be heard) of SIT at this stage.
Afterwards the court would decide  whether Zakia should be given more
time, the magistrate said.
PTI


http://www.rediff.com/news/report/zakia-challenges-sit-s-right-to-be-heard-in-her-case/20121012.htm