SC tells Modi govt to reinvestigate Guj riots | In depth

RACE RAGE: The 2002 riots in Gujarat left 81 dead in state's Godhra district.

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Keywords: Parzania, Narendra Modi

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Narendra Modi government to reinvestigate 10 cases pertaining to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The apex court has also set up a five-member special investigation team.

The court-appointed investigation team will be headed by former CBI director RK Raghavan and will include two Gujarat government officials.

The special team will be investigating riot cases at 10 places, including the incident of train burning in Godhra.

It may be a ray of hope for many whose life changed after the riots. Rupa Mody has been looking for her son Azhar who went missing from their Gulbarg society home during the post-Godhra riots in 2002. Her tragedy was also documented in the film Parzania.

"For the past six years, nothing has happened. It would be better if the CBI was entrusted this case, but still we are happy that there will be an impartial investigation now,” Rupa says.

For the last five years, investigations in the major riot cases of Gujarat have reached a virtual dead end.

The 10 cases relate to rioting in seven places include Godhra where 81 people were killed, Gulbarga Society where 68 were killed, Naroda Patia where over 100 were killed, Sardarpur where 34 were killed and Best Bakery were 14 burnt alive.

“The newly constituted special investigation team will have to submit its report in five months,” social activist Teesta Setalvad claims.

In the last six years, five commissions and committees have probed the 2002 Gujarat riot cases.

And now the SC has ordered setting up of yet another investigation team to look into the riot cases. But in all its zeal the apex court has left the question of speedy justice unresolved.