SC directs Gujarat to quickly form SIT

The SIT, to be set up within 10 days, would be free to evoke its own investigation modalities, the court rules.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Gujarat government to constitute within 10 days a special investigation team to re-investigate the post-Godhra communal riots.

A bench headed by Justice Arjit Pasayat said the SIT would submit its report in a sealed cover to the court within 3 months. The SIT would be free to evoke its own modalities for the purpose of carrying out investigations into the cases, the court said.

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The team would comprise ex-CBI chief RK Raghavan and former DG of UP Police CD Satpathy besides three IPS officers from Gujarat -- Geeta Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia.

While Raghavan would be the chairman of the SIT, Johri would be the convener of the team. The issue related to the petition filed by the NHRC which has sought transfer of the trial of the riots' cases outside Gujarat and re-investigation by an independent agency like CBI.

The NHRC had filed the petition after several witnesses turned hostile amidst allegations of threat, coercion and inducement to derail the investigation.