SC relieves SIT chief R K Raghavan probing Gujarat riots from official duties

R K Raghavan in Gandhinagar. (File photo. Javed Raja)

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Special Investigation Team (SIT) Chief R K Raghavan, investigating the 2002 Gujarat riots case, to be relieved from professional duties on Thursday. K Venkatesam has also been relieved from this role in the SIT, after being appointed the chief of Nagpur police, according to police.

A K Malhotra will, however, continue with the probe alone, according to reports, and will be filing quarterly reports. In 2002, riots between Hindu and Muslim communities in Gujarat erupted across the state, resulted in countless deaths. Former Gujarat minister and BJP member Maya Kodnani was sentenced to 28 years in prison for her involvement in the case by a trial court but the High Court later relaxed her sentence due to her ill health.

A Supreme Court bench, of Justices J S Khehar, D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, took into consideration the submission of Harish Salve, senior advocate and amicus curiae in the Gujarat riots case, regarding Raghavan’s relievement.

Praising the SIT’s efforts so far, the bench gave A K Malhotra permission to take over the probe alone, based on Salve’s submission. The SIT was appointed by the apex court. It had been investigating nine important post-Godhra riots cases, such as the Naroda Gam case, in which 11 members of a community had perished.