Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) A victim of the communal violence of 2002 and a rights organisation have urged the Gujarat High Court to take note of a recent sting operation by the Tehelka newsmagazine, and demanded action against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others.
Teesta Setalvad of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) Wednesday said they filed an affidavit before the court of Justice M.R. Shah on Tuesday.
The co-petitioner, Zakia Nasim Jaffri – who lost her husband, former Congress member of parliament Ehsan Jaffri, in a mass carnage Feb 28, 2002 in Ahmedabad – in her affidavit has stated that the voluminous evidence she placed before the court points to a state-sponsored conspiracy at the highest level and subversion of pre-investigation and post-investigation procedures by the police and officers.
“There is also evidence of efforts to subvert the arraigning of the accused and ensure justice to the victims of state-sponsored mass crimes,” Setalvad said.
Jaffri and the CJP had filed a petition before the court May 1, 2007 and arguments were completed in early September. The matter has been pending judgement.
Jaffri in her fresh plea has stated that the Tehelka exposé of last week reaffirms the allegations of the petitioners, and there are fresh allegations against other accused with stronger evidence against the chief minister and others.
“This evidence needs to be considered by the high court that is deliberating the matter,” Setalvad told IANS.
Jaffri in her affidavit stated: “The killers were given sanction for their illegal acts by the top person in the state and protection for months after the deeds were committed. The sting operation also included some accused speaking in detail of the killing of Ehsan Jaffri.
“The shocking, scary facts brought out in this sting operation impinge directly on the pending judgment.”