Important documents missing from SIT report, says Zakia

The wife of former Congress MP Ehsaan Jaffery, killed in post-Godhra riots, told a court in Ahmedabad that SIT had not provided her 18 important documents, along with its final report, regarding her complaint against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others.

Zakia Jaffery's lawyer Sadik Sheikh, in an application in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate M S Bhatt, listed 18 different documents which he said were missing from the closure report which the SIT had provided to her last Monday.

The documents include preliminary inquiry report of SIT official A K Malhotra submitted to the Supreme Court on May 12, 2010, further investigations reports filed periodically by the agency in the apex court and comments of SIT Chairman R K Raghavan dated May 14, 2010.

SIT lawyer R S Jamuar opposed Zakia's plea, saying the Supreme Court had directed it to provide her only the final report and documents related to the probe carried out on the basis of her complaint.

"Most of those reports which are being asked by the complainant (Zakia) were given in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court, and if they wish they can obtain them from the apex court," Jamuar told the court.

After hearing both sides, the court scheduled the hearing on the application on May 19.

Zakia has to file a compliance report in the court, saying she had received all the documents from the SIT related to her complaint.

The SIT had given copies of its final report, including the report of amicus curiae in the case, Raju Ramhandran, and other documents, to Zakia on May 7.

Zakia's lawyer further said that along with the report, they have received some CDs which are inaudible. Also, some of the photocopies of the originals provided by SIT are unreadable.

To this, Jamuvar said SIT has submitted the items in the court after a gap of ten years as the incidents relate to 2002. "We have the same CDs and the complainant can examine the original CDs which are available with SIT."

Sheikh said he will inspect the original CDs and documents available with SIT.

Zakia's complaint had alleged complicity of Modi, his ministers and senior officials in the 2002 riots in which over 1,000 people were killed.

After probing the charges levelled in the complaint, the SC-appointed agency gave a clean chit to Modi.

However, Ramchandran, the apex court-named amicus curie who also looked into the allegations of Modi's complicity in the riots, has concluded that the BJP stalwart can be prosecuted under IPC for "promoting enmity among different groups".