SIT questions ex-minister I K Jadeja in connection with 2002 riots

Former CBI Deputy Inspector General A K Malhotra was the only officer who questioned Jadeja,said sources.

Jadeja,while exiting the SIT office,said: “I have answered all that they asked me and have nothing to comment.”

The SIT had begun the probe this May,following the Supreme Court’s order in connection to a petition filed by Zakia Jafri,the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri,around mid-2006.

Jafri’s statements in connection to her petition were recorded on May 26. Former Gujarat Home Minister Gordhan Zadapia was called to the SIT office four times this September in connection with the petition.

Quoting from the affidavit of retired Director General of Police R B Sreekumar before the Justice Nanavati-Mehta Commission,para 50 of the petition accuses Jadeja of adversely affecting the supervision of the riots’ situation by giving verbal orders to officers from the then DGP’s office.

“Chakravarthy (the then DGP),was quite critical about the presence of a cabinet minister,I K Jadeja,in the DGP’s office in the days after the Godhra incident. The DGP remonstratively bemoaned that the presence of the minister was adversely affecting the supervision of the situation. He added that officers at the cutting edge level in the field were carrying out the verbal orders of the ruling party leaders instead of the directions of the jurisdictional officers.”