Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the Gujarat riots not to divulge the statement of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, recorded by it. A special bench headed by Justice D. K. Jain said that Modi statement recorded by the SIT during the course of investigation with him should be made available only to the trial Court and the public prosecutor.
The Narendra Modi was interrogated for more than eight hours in March by the SIT appointed by the Supreme Court to look into the Gujarat riots case particularly the killing of former congress MP Ehsan Jafri.
Jafri was burnt alive during the communal riots in Ahmedabad in February 2002. The SIT is headed by former CBI Director RK Raghavan.
The direction came when it was pointed out to the bench by the SIT that the Commission headed by Justice G. T. Nanavati, probing the sequence of events in the 2002 riot cases, has sought the statement of Mr. Modi recorded by the investigating team.
The bench also dismissed an application by Teesta Setalvad seeking that the names of new members of the SIT should be placed before the judges ahead of their appointment.
“We do not find any merit to modify our order in this regard,” the bench said, adding that the counsel should have faith in the members of the investigating team. The court posted the matter for further hearing on September 30.