Threat e-mail to Modi: Court begins hearing after 15 years

A local court has started hearing a case related to an alleged threat e-mail sent to then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi around fifteen years ago.

Mohammad Rizwan Kadri, a city resident, is the accused in the case.

Judicial Magistrate J L Parmar began the hearing of the case last week with the examination of complainant, said public prosecutor Pratik Bhatt.

The next hearing will be on June 27, he said.

As per the Anti Terrorist Squad of Gujarat Police, Kadri sent an e-mail to Modi in December 2002, threatening to "finish" him and his "associates VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS" by the end of February 2003.

He allegedly also vowed to "finish" BJP leader L K Advani and VHP leaders Pravin Togadia and Ashok Singhal.

After the e-mail was traced to Kadri, an FIR was registered against him on February 25, 2003 under section 507 of the IPC (for issuing threat) and section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

After the magistrate's court dismissed Kadri's plea seeking quashing of charges against him in 2007, he moved the Gujarat High Court. The HC retained charges under the IPC while quashing those under the IT Act.