The amicus curiae in the Zakia Jafri case, Raju Ramachandran, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the Special Investigation Team probing Ms. Zafri's complaint (alleging complicity in the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom against 62 persons, including Chief Minister Narendra Modi) would have to place his report before the trial court. “I'm sure the SIT is aware that they are required to place my report before the trial court.”
Mr. Ramachandran, who has already given an authenticated copy of his report to the SIT, however, said it was for the SIT to decide how it would place the report. “I don't wish to give them [the SIT] a view on the manner in which they should place the report before the trial court. They are free to seek legal opinion on this if they want to. There need not be any controversy on this.”
Legal opinion sought
On Monday, sources in the SIT told The Hindu that the SIT had sought legal opinion on how to place the amicus' report — whether to forward it to the trial court or incorporate it in its own report.
The sources said the doubt had to be cleared because there was “no positive direction to the SIT” on submitting the amicus' report. In its September 12 order, the Supreme Court said: “ … it will be open to the SIT to obtain from the amicus curiae copies of his reports submitted to this court.”
Teesta Setalvad, whose Citizens for Justice and Peace is a co-petitioner in the case, told The Hindu :
“The Supreme Court's order is self-evident. In the event the SIT does not forward the complete report of the amicus to the trial court, not only will we go in appeal but we believe that it will be contempt of the Supreme Court's order.”
