'Modi should be prosecuted for complicity in Guj riots'

Ahead of the Special Investigation Team probing the 2002 riots finalising its report, suspended Indian Police Services officer Sanjiv Bhatt on Wednesday again demanded that it should seek to prosecute Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his "complicity" in the Gulburg society riot case.

In a letter written to SIT Chairman R K Raghvan, he said that acts of commission and omission on part of Modi in the case tantamount to abetment of gruesome carnage and thereby he should be charged under provisions of Section 107 (abetment to crime) of IPC.

In the Gulberg society incident in 2002, 69 people including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, were killed.

The Supreme Court has directed the SIT to file its final report in the Gulburg society riot case on complaint of Zakia Jafri, wife of the ex-MP where she had accused Modi and 61 others for riots. The SIT is likely to file its report soon.

Bhatt also suggested that Modi would be liable to be charged under IPC sections 109, 112, 115, 117, 118 and 119.

Reiterating what he had already told to SIT and the amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran, Bhatt stated in his letter, by the time of second meeting that he claimed to have had with the chief minister on February 28, 2002, the carnage at Gulbarg Society had begun in full view of the police personnel who were deployed there for bandobust duties.

"The Gujarat CM was accordingly briefed about the police inaction and complicity. He was informed about the threat to the life of ex-MP Ehsan Jafri and his family," Bhatt said in the letter.

"Surprisingly, on conclusion of second meeting, the chief minister instructed me to find out details regarding the past instances wherein Ehsan Jafri had supposedly opened fire on Hindus, during earlier communal riots in Ahmedabad city," Bhatt claimed in the letter.

"I was informed by control room and other State Intelligence Bureau sources stationed at Gulbarg Society, that a few minutes ago Ehsan Jafri had opened fire on a riotous mobs," he stated.

"This makes it clear that the chief minister was fully aware of the ongoing carnage and was independently getting real-time information updates on the developments taking place at Gulbarg Society", he stated.

"Later, I was told to collect details regarding past offences registered against Ehsan Jafri, which was followed by a similar telephonic request from cabinet minister Ashok Bhatt who was stationed at Ahmedabad City Control Room, by the chief minister," Bhatt stated.

"All this, absolutely makes it clear that the Chief Minister Narendra Modi was not interested in directing the police to act with firmness to protect the life and property of helpless citizens. Instead, at the time of gory carnage, he (Modi) sought to condone the police inaction," he stated.

Having, a clairvoyant foresight to collect information which could be used to build up a case that then on-going carnage at Gulbarg Society was triggered by the act of unprovoked firing  on the riotous mobs by Ehsan Jafri, Bhatt stated.

These acts of commission and omission on the part of Modi, on February 28, 2002, amounted to facilitation and abetment of the gruesome carnage at Gulbarg Society, he claimed.

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