2002 riots: More trouble for Narendra Modi

Gujarat high court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to the Narendra Modi government for not paying compensation to the victims of the 2002 riots whose shops were destroyed.

At least 56 shops were destroyed in the Rakhial area in Ahmedabad during the post-Godhra riots in 2002.

The court had ordered the compensation last year but the state government did not comply by its order, following which, all the 56 shop owners had filed a contempt petition in the high court against the Gujarat government and the Ahmedabad district collectorate.

A division bench of justices Akil Kureshi and C L Soni asked the Modi government to explain why it has still not handed over the money to those affected.

The court directed the Ahmedabad district collector to file its reply by March 14 explaining why contempt proceedings should not be initiated.

Meanwhile, the Ahmedabad metropolitan court also on Wednesday directed the Special Investigation Team to submit all necessary and additional documents on which it has based its report on 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre.

As per the court\\\’s order, the SIT will now have to submit all the relevant documents to the court within a month.

The court said that it will decide on February 29 that if the lawyers of Zakia Jafri, the widow of former MP Ehsan Jafri, and other NGOs can inspect the SIT report.

Ehsan Jafri was among the 69 people who were burnt alive by a rioting mob in on February 28, 2002 at the Gulbarg Housing Society in Ahmedabad.

Earlier, the Gujarat high court on February 8 had directed the Narendra Modi government to fund the reconstruction and repair of over 500 religious structures which were damaged, partially or fully, during the riots.

The high court had also questioned the Gujarat government and the police that why they failed to stop the 2002 post Godhra riots.