NEW DELHI, Aug 30: The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed all pending petitions arising out of the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying that the cases have now become “infructuous with the passage of time.”
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India UU Lalit noted that only one trial in the Naroda Gam case was pending. It asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take steps to bring the case to a conclusion.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi told the bench, “This court had appointed an SIT for nine major trials in the Gujarat riots. In all cases, except one, trials have been concluded and appeals are pending in high courts or the Supreme Court.”
“Only in 1 out of the 9 — Naroda Gam case — the trial is at final argument stage,” Rohatgi said.
The bench was informed that multiple transfer petitions were filed between 2008 and 2010 which have now become infructuous.
On activist Teesta Setalvad’s bail plea, the Supreme Court said her plea can be considered by an appropriate authority. Teesta Setalvad was arrested in June this year for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame “innocent people” in the post-Godhra riots cases.
(Manas Dasgupta)