Gujarat riots: Modi likely to appear before SIT today

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is likely to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) today in connection with a 2002 post-Godhra riot case, sources in the SIT said.

The date was also confirmed earlier by Modi's lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, who said March 27 was the mutually agreed date on which the BJP leader would appear before the Supreme Court-appointed probe team.

The venue and time of the deposition have been kept a closely-guarded secret.

Earlier, confusion prevailed over his appearance before the SIT with its chief R K Raghavan saying he would depose on March 21. But later, Modi in an open letter claimed that he was not summoned on that date.

SIT has summoned Modi to depose in connection with a complaint of Zakia Jaffery, widow of former Congress MP Eshan Jaffery, who was killed in the riot at Gulburg Society here along with 69 others.

If the Chief Minister appears before the probe panel, this will be for the first time that he would present himself for questioning in the post-Godhra riots that took place eight years ago.