By IANS
New Delhi/Ahmedabad : The Supreme Court Monday deferred till Wednesday hearing on two pleas seeking probe into Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the extra-judicial killing of a Muslim youth, with his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) breathing easy ahead of the crucial first round of assembly polls.
A bench of Justice Tarun Chatterjee said it would take up the matter Wednesday as its first item. The bench deferred the hearing of the case without issuing any notice.
At a brief hearing, Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, submitted to the bench the English translation of Modi’s controversial Dec 4 speech delivered in Gujarati at Mangrol in south Gujarat, in which he had allegedly justified the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh.
Following a plea from Sheikh’s brother Rubabuddin, the court earlier this year had ordered probe into the killing, forcing the Gujarat government to admit in an affidavit that the police had erred in killing him.
Subramanian told the bench that Modi’s speech prima facie interfered with the course of justice.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Rubabuddin, said it was a gross contempt of court.
Senior advocate Arun Jaitley, appearing for his Modi, opposed their argument and urged the court to take up the matter when tempers cool down.
After Modi made the controversial speech, allegedly saying that he was right in getting eliminated people like Sohrabuddin who had hoarded arms and ammunition for terrorist activities in the state, Rubabuddin and Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar moved the court, seeking a probe against Modi.
The two have also sought transfer of the ongoing trial against the accused police officers in the state.
Gujarat goes to the polls in two phases, Tuesday and Sunday.
There was a sense of relief at the Gujarat BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad following the Supreme Court’s decision.
Queried about the hearing, BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar said: “There is nothing to comment. It is just a court procedure.”