Ahmedabad, March 24
Ending suspense over his appearance before the Supreme Court-appointed SIT probing the 2002 Gujarat riots, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to present himself before the panel on March 27. “March 27 is the mutually agreed date on which Modi will appear before the SIT,” his advocate Mahesh Jethmalani said.

However, Modi told SIT chief RK Raghavan in a letter that since the hearing on the case was scheduled before the Supreme Court on April 5, it would be good if the apex court heard the matter first.

Modi pointed out to the SIT that since the matter, regarding which summons had been issued to him was pending before the Supreme Court, propriety demanded that the SC heard it first before he appears for SIT questioning, Jethmalani said.

He said the Chief Minister had also written that in case the SIT decided to question him on the mutually agreed date of March 27, he would appear before the panel.

However, SIT chief RK Raghavan refused to comment on the date. “It is a privilege communication between the SIT and the witness and I cannot comment on this,” he said.

Confusion prevailed over the appearance of Modi before the SIT with its chief saying he would appear on March 21. But Modi, in an open letter, claimed he was not summoned on that date.

The SIT has summoned Modi to depose in connection with a complaint of Zakia Jaffery, widow of former Congress MP Eshan Jaffery, who was killed in Gulburg society riot case of 2002, along with 69 others. — PTI