Contempt plea filed against Modi for probe remarks

The Supreme Court today decided to hear a petition seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks in connection with the probe ordered against him and others for post-Godhra riots.      

The petition was mentioned before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan which decided to hear it next week.      

The petition was filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan who has been assisting the Court as amicus curiae in the matter of Jakia Nasim, wife of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri. She had accused the Gujarat Government of not entertaining her complaint relating to Jafri, who was killed in the 2002 riots.      

In the contempt petition, it is alleged that Modi had remarked that the probe against him was ordered by the Supreme Court as a result of a conspiracy involving Congress.      

The advocate also referred to a subsequent advertisement which had claimed that efforts were on to send Modi to jail. The same advertisement had claimed that a clean chit will be given to Bofors case accused Ottavio Quattrocchi.