L A T E S T      N E W S

SIT gives clean chit to Modi in Gujarat riot case

Ahmedabad: The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team has found no evidence against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 57 others in the complaint filed against them by Zakia Jafri in the 2002 Gujarat riots, a Magisterial court said today.

The court also ordered that Zakia, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was among those killed in the Gulburg society carnage, be given copies of all the related documents and reports within 30 days.

Metropolitan magistrate M S Bhatt, in his order on a batch of petitions seeking copy of the SIT report, said the investigators have filed a closure report and found no evidence against any of the accused named in Zakia's complaint. Modi was on the top of the list of persons named in the complaint.

"According to SIT, no offence has been established against any of the 58 persons listed in Zakia's complaint," the court said.

"Therefore, as per the Supreme Court's order and principle of natural justice the complainant has to be given copy of the report and related documents," it said, adding no notice was needed to be issued to Zakia as she had already approached the court seeking a copy of the report.

"It is hereby ordered that as per Supreme Court order Zakia will be given copies of the investigation report, statements of witnesses and all related documents within 30 days of this order." Zakia, widow of Eshan Jafri, who was killed in Gulburg society riots along with 68 others, had filed a complaint against Modi, his ministerial colleagues, top police officials and BJP functionaries accusing them of wider conspiracy in the 2002 riots in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, had been killed.

The apex court had ordered an inquiry into the complaint filed by her and appointed the SIT headed by R K Raghavan to probe it. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Army Chief General V. K. Singh today sent his complaint to the CBI regarding Rs 14 crore alleged bribery offer made to him by a retired officer to clear the supply of a tranche of 600 vehicles. CBI sources said the complaint has been recieved by them and it is being examined. Singh, who had made the allegation in a media interview that forced Defence Minister A. K. Antony to order a CBI inquiry, had alleged in a letter to the agency on March 30 that there was a bribe offer from retired Lt Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh, the sources said.

The agency had asked him to furnish a detailed complaint along with a possible witness list and other supporting documents so that they could proceed with the inquiry, they said.

Tejinder Singh has refuted the allegations and also filed a defamation case against the Army Chief and other officers.

A preliminary enquiry or an FIR could be registered soon after completion of the procedural requirements, the sources said.

The Army Chief had claimed in media interviews that an equipment lobbyist had offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore, a matter which he had reported to the Defence Minister.

The ministry had then recommended a CBI probe into the allegation made by the Army Chief. — PTI

Bhubaneswar: A fast track court in Odisha on Tuesday acquitted a top Maoist leader's wife in a 2003 shootout case for lack of evidence, sources said. Her release was sought by the rebels in exchange for an Italian who has been held captive by them since last month.

The fast track court at Gunpur in Rayagada district acquitted Subhashree Das, wife of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, who was behind last month's abduction of two Italians, one of whom was later released.

Subhashree was accused of involvement in the exchange of fire between Maoists and police in Kutingaguda area of the district in 2003.

Subhashree, also known as Mili, is one of several prisoners whose freedom was sought by Maoists in exchange for the release of the Italian tour operator Bosusco Paolo, in the custody of the rebels since March 14.

There was no official word on whether the state government facilitated her release.

Her husband Sabyasachi Panda is the organising secretary of the Odisha unit of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), the group that kidnapped the Italian from Kandhamal district.

New Delhi: In another hit-and-run case in the national capital, a speeding Mercedes Benz car ran over two policemen in Northwest Delhi early Tuesday.

A 30-year-old constable was killed while his young colleague was injured in the incident. The duo was on patrolling duty when the incident happened, police said. The deceased cop has been identified as Deepak.

The incident took place at around 1.30 am in Paschim Vihar B-1 Block. Reports said the accused driver had fled the scene after the incident but was later arrested. He was identified as Gurdeep Singh, a hotelier.