Ahmedabad, 26 April 2013

The Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) lawyer R S Jamuar continued his arguments on Zakia Jafri’s plea against SIT report. Following are the main points:

-The author behind larger conspiracy theory is Teesta Setalvad. Setalvad is the novel writer and others like Sreekumar, Sanjiv Bhatt and Rahul Sharma have added to it.

-On Teesta’s instruction a citizens’ tribunal was formed under the leadership of Justice (retired) V R Krishna Iyyer… after collecting evidence (it) published a report in which it was claimed that Modi has, in a meeting at his residence on February 27, 2002, gave so-called instructions.When SIT member A K Malhotra examined the members of tribunal, they said the then state minister Haren Pandya told them. But they never had any evidence, no recording of testimony, nothing and still they came up with such conclusion. As per the tribunal’s report… in that meeting apart from CM three ministers were also present, whereas Zakai’s own witness, (suspended IPS officer) Sanjiv Bhatt, later claimed that except Modi no politician was present. How can they implicate Narendra Modi? Did CM say go on a rampage, go on a carnage, kill people? Tribunal’s report is one of the ugliest inquiry report I have ever seen.

-Zakia in her testimony before the SIT said that she did whatever Setalvad and former top cop R B Sreekumar asked her to do.

-The DGP got intelligence about karsevaks’ return from Ayodhya a day after the Godhra incident occurred. If this was the case, prosecute intelligence officers — G C Raiger and Sanjiv Bhatt, why should Modi’s prosecution be demanded?

-Complaint takes objections to CM’s statement terming Godhra incidence as a conspiracy hatched by ISI during his visit to Godhra on February 27, 2002. But what’s wrong in it?After any such incident, politicians normally claim that ISI must be behind it. The chief minister, who was busy with budget session in the assembly, flew to Vadodara and then Godhra in a hurry. He did not have time enough to gather information. And when the incident had taken place 10 years after Babri Masjid demolition, what is wrong if he had said so?

-Modi has never said that go and kill people. Teesta Setalvad and others have falsified the complaint targeting chief minister who had never said that go and kill people.The so-called incident of CM giving instructions to high-level police officers not to take action against the rioters is a sole creation of Teesta Setalvad. There is no evidence.

-Modi came to Gujarat in 2001 and this all happened within almost three months after he became Chief Minister. How can he hatch a larger conspiracy within that short time?