A metropolitan court held that due to lapse of time, Zakia Jafri, widow of former parliamentarian Ehsan Jafri, has lost the right to file a petition challenging the special investigation team’s (SIT) clean chit to CM Narendra Modi and others in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Jafri was among the 69 people burnt alive by a mob in Ahmedabad’s Gulbarg Society. Zakia had sought that Modi and 61 others be accused in the case.

In February, the SIT had given them a clean chit. A copy of the report was provided to Zakia in May and she was given two months to file a protest petition. On Wednesday, the court said despite repeated extensions, Zakia had failed to file the petition and so she has lost the right to approach the court.

Zakia’s lawyer SM Vohra said the delay was due to the fact that they had asked for clarifications in the Supreme Court. This court had chosen not to wait and gave an order which is “shocking”, he said. “We will challenge the order,” said Zakia’s son Tanvir.  (With PTI inputs)