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Stay on court judgment in Godhra cases
The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the trial court hearing in the 2002 post-Godhra riots cases from pronouncing its final judgment in the case.
The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained the trial court hearing in the 2002 post-Godhra riots cases from pronouncing its final judgment in the case.
A special bench headed by Justice D. K. Jain, however, declined to stay the ongoing trial in the case, as sought by activist Teesta Setlavad. In her application Teesta has also urged for the reconstitution of SIT and accused two of its members, senior Gujarat cadre IPS officers, of rigging the investigation.
The bench said: “The trial court shall proceed with the trial but no judgment shall be pronounced.”
Upon the request of senior counsel and amicus curiae, Harish Salve, the bench also appointed former CBI DIG, A.K Malhotra, to verify allegations of lapses in probes being conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Gujarat riots.
Malhotra is also part of the SIT and would specifically look into the allegations against two Gujarat police officers.
The bench said Malhotra would verify the allegations after examining the reply filed by SIT on the issue.
The direction was passed even as the Gujarat government opposed it vehemently.
