SIT concludes arguments against Zakia’s petition

SIT Counsel R S Jamuar said there were four major allegations of larger conspiracy — failure to declare curfew in time,failure to make preventive arrests,deployment of Army and failure to make effective firing to control the rioting mob.

Jamuar said,“Curfew was imposed on time while 4000 people were rounded up within 72 hours after the riots broke out. Police fired more bullets than tear gas shells and that is the reason 100 people were killed.”

About deployment of the Army,Jamuar told the court that accused number-one (Modi) had demanded extra forces from the Centre but it got delayed due to circumstances related to national security.

He added when the state got the nod it airlifted Army personnel to control the 2002 riots. Jamuar concluded that Zakia’s complaint didn’t have substance as the witnesses Zakia included were based on “hearsay” and “lies”.

He also criticised Zakia for making the case political with the help of NGOs instead of keeping it as a criminal offence. Zakia’s lawyer will start arguments on a daily basis from June 26 against SIT’s closure report.