Who was Zakia Jafri, wife of an ex-Congress MP who died in the Godhra riots?

In a post on X, social activist Teesta Setalvad called Jafri “a compassionate leader of the human rights community.”

Updated on: Feb 1, 2025, 16:48:27 IST

By HT News Desk

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Zakia Jafri, whose ex-Congress MP husband was killed in the 2002 Godhra riots, died in Ahmedabad on Saturday. She was 86. She had made headlines due to her legal fight over her husband Ehsan Jafri's murder. He was among 69 persons killed inside Gulbarg Society, a Muslim neighbourhood in Ahmedabad, on February 28, 2002.

Zakia Jafri fought a protracted legal battle to hold top political leaders accountable for the alleged conspiracy for the riots post the Godhra train burning episode.

"My mother was visiting my sister's house in Ahmedabad. She completed her daily morning routine and was normally chatting with her family members when she complained of feeling uneasy. The doctor who was called in declared her dead at around 11:30 am," her son Tanveer Jafri said.

In a post on X, social activist Teesta Setalvad called Jafri “a compassionate leader of the human rights community.”

"Zakia Appa, a compassionate leader of the human rights community passed away just 30 minutes ago! Her visionary presence will be missed by the nation, family friends and world! Tanveer Bhai, Nishrin, Duraiyaappa, grandkids we are with you! Rest in Power and Peace Zakia appa," she wrote on X.

In 2006, Zakia Jafri alleged that a "larger conspiracy", bureaucratic inaction, police complicity and hate speech triggered the Godhra riots.

She had demanded a chargesheet against then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and others. She also accused the state government of delaying the deployment of the Army to contain the riots.

Over her plea, the Supreme Court formed an SIT to probe into the riots. The SIT filed a closure report in February 2012 and gave a clean chit to Modi and 63 others, saying there was "no prosecutable evidence" against them.

In its June 24, 2022 order, the apex court rejected Zakia Jafri's appeal challenging the SIT's clean chit to Modi and 63 others.

With inputs from PTI

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