Modi's appearance before SIT shows nobody's above law, says Moily - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Union Minister for Law and Justice Veerappa Moily on Saturday said that even if the appearance of Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi before the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) was most unfortunate, it did reflect that all were equal before the law. "It is most unfortunate that he landed himself into to that kind of situation. It is not desirable. But, unfortunately, it has happened. But that demonstrates the fact that nobody is above law. Rule of law is equal to every one as I have repeated there," said M Veerappa Moily here. To a poser on Modi questioning the validity of the SIT summons to him, Moily said that by doing so he was questioning the authority of the country's apex court. "No, it is for him to agitate before the court, that means he is questioning the authority of the Supreme Court to appoint an SIT. And SIT is empowered by the Supreme Court decision. That means he is questioning the Supreme Court. He should understand what he is doing," he added. In Gandhinagar, earlier in the day, Modi appeared before the before Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the apex court to inquire into the communal riots of 2002 in the state, amid tight security. Modi's security and bomb disposal squad arrived before him at the premises from where SIT is functioning at Gandhinagar. The enquiry was on till 3.30 p.m. on Saturday. Modi, 59, senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the first-ever Chief Minister of any state to be called for questioning in a criminal complaint of mass murder after he and his administration were accused of aiding and abetting riots in one area of Ahmedabad. The Supreme Court appointed SIT to inquire into the 2002 Gujarat riots that claimed lives of more than 2,500 lives required Modi to appear before it for questioning on Sunday (March 21). However, Modi did not turn up for the questioning by the SIT members on Sunday. The summons followed a petition filed by Zakia Jaffrey, widow of Ehsan Jaffrey, a former Congress party legislator, who was allegedly burnt alive during the riots in what has come to be known as the Gulbarg Society massacre on February 28, 2002. The Hindu-Muslim clashes in the western state of Gujarat killed more than 2,500 people displaced some 200,000 and orphaned about 400 children. The reprisal attacks by a group of Hindus broke loose after suspected Muslim attackers torched a train carrying Hindu pilgrims on February 27, 2002, killing 59 Kar Sevaks (devotees) in a Gujarat town.