SC issues notice to Gujarat govt on summoning Modi

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the stands of the Nanavati Commission and the Gujarat Government on a plea for direction to the Commission to summon Chief Minister Narendra Modi for questioning in connection with the 2002 riots.

A bench of justices D K Jain and A K Dave issued notices to the Commission and the state government, asking them to file their responses within four weeks.

The bench's order came on a plea by non-governmental organisation Jan Sangarsh Manch (JSM) of the Gujarat riot victims, seeking direction to the Commission to call Modi for questioning after the plea was dismissed by the Gujarat High Court.

Advocates Collin Gonsalves and Shreeji Bhavsar, appearing for the NGO submitted that Modi should be summoned by the Commission as the role of the chief minister falls within the ambit of the probe panel's inquiry. Nanavati Commission was formed in 2002 after post-Godhra train carnage riots. In 2004, the terms of reference of the Commission had been expanded to include in its purview an examination of the chief minster's role in the riots.

In September 2009, the Commission had rejected JSM's plea to summon of Modi and five others for cross-examination with regard to the communal violence in which over 1,000 people were killed.

The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had earlier questioned Modi on 2002 riots for over ten hours in 2010.