Gujarat high court on Monday adjourned till September 27 the hearing on a petition by an NGO seeking to summon Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and others in connection with 2002 Godhra riots.
A division bench of Chief Justice S J Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi, adjourned hearing after advocate general Kamal Trivedi submitted that Nanavati Commission was examining the material with regard to post-Godhra riots supplied to them by Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team.
The NGO Jan Sangarsh Manch's counsel Mukul Sinha submitted that the they had approached the commission afresh as directed by the high court's order of July this year and the hearing on that application was scheduled on September 7.
The court said since the commission is examining new material before them they should be given time. Also, since the commission had earlier said their decision not to call Modi and others was 'not final,' it must be allowed to go through the new material from SIT and make up its mind, the court said, adding the matter could now be heard on September 27.
JSM in its application has sought summoning of Modi, the then health minister and now speaker in state assembly Ashok Bhatt, the then home minister Gordhan Jhadafia, who has now parted ways with BJP and floated his own party and R J Savani, the then deputy commissioner of police of Zone V, Ahmedabad.
The NGO, representing some riot victims, had approached the High Court where its plea for quashing of commission's order was rejected by single bench of Justice K S Jhaveri.
Following this JSM filed an appeal before a division bench of Gujarat HC, which in July 23 this year asked it to approach the commission afresh.
JSM approached the commission afresh, after Gujarat HC's direction, which had in turn also asked the riot panel to 'look into the matter after taking into consideration facts in their record.'
On August 25, the commission headed by retired Justice G T Nanavati and comprising retired Justice Akshay Mehta, had adjourned the hearing on JSM's application till September 7.
