Author: Dhananjay Mahapatra
Publication: The Times of India
Date: July 26, 2011
The Supreme Court-monitored probe into the
Gujarat riot cases reached a critical stage on Monday with amicus curiae Raju
Ramachandran submitting his views on the Special Investigation Team's finding
that there was no prosecutable evidence against CM Narendra Modi.
Modi's fate-whether or not he faces a criminal case--will depend on the report
by senior advocate Ramachandran, asked by a special bench of Justices D K
Jain, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam to weigh the evidence and give an expert
opinion.
The bench will consider Ramachandran's report on August 28, which will be
keenly watched not only by the BJP and the Modi government but also the complainant,
Jakia Jafri, and social activist Teesta Setalvad. "The court had asked
for an independent assessment of the material on record and evidence collected
by the SIT. I have also interacted with several persons in Gujarat before
submitting the report," Ramachandran told TOI.
Ramachandran was also asked to give his views on the affidavit of IPS officer
Sanjiv Bhatt, who had accused Modi of refusing to rein in violent mobs during
a high-level meeting on February 27, 2002, immediately after the Godhra train
burning case.
