Gujarat gets time to file report in court on riots case

GANDHINAGAR - The government Thursday got a week’s time from the Gujarat High Court to find out the status of the process for summoning Chief Minister Narendra Modi initiated by a panel probing the 2002 post-Godhra riots case.

This is the third adjournment after the state earlier sought time to file a status report on the Justices (retired) G.T. Nanavati-Akshay Mehta Enquiry Commission probing the riots case.

When the matter was taken up for hearing, government counsel Prakash Jani requested a division bench of Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi to allow the state a week’s time to look into the matter and submit a status report.

After hearing the parties, the court allowed a week’s time to the state to file its reply and posted the matter for June 25.

Advocate Mukul Sinha, counsel for Jan Sangharsh Manch, the petitioner NGO representing riot victims, opposed the state plea for another week’s time in this matter.

“We had asked the commission to summon Modi and others however the commission so far has asked only three people to file affidavits,” Sinha said.

The commission also denied our request to cross examine these three people. If we are not informed about the status of the commission it will not conclude its inquiry for years, he said urging the court to pass an order.