Gujarat riots anniversary: Will fight till justice prevails, says slain Cong MP Ehsan Jafri's wife Zakia Jafri

"Twenty-one years have passed, I have forgotten almost all the things due to age, but I vividly remember that day,” Zakia said while recalling the fateful day of February 28, 2002, when the riots broke out in Gulberg Society.

Ahmedabad: Zakia Jafri, the wife of Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed during the communal riots at Gulberg Society in Gujarat's Ahmedabad in February 2002, said that she will continue the long legal battle to get justice for her late husband. Zakia was speaking to ETV Bharat on the sidelines of her visit to the Gulberg Society on Tuesday on the 21st anniversary of the riots and also her husband's death anniversary.

“Twenty-one years have passed, I have forgotten almost all the things due to age, but I vividly remember that day,” Zakia said while recalling the fateful day of February 28, 2002, when the riots broke out in Gulberg Society after 59 Kar Sevaks returning from Ayodhya were killed after a coach of Sabarmati Express they were traveling in was allegedly put on fire at Godhra.

Ehsan was among 68 people killed in the Gulberg Society riots in Ahmedabad a day after the Godhra incident. Zakia said that a crowd of people had entered their compound to take shelter in their house. “He (Ehsan) asked me to get inside the house for safety. I saw four girls were dragged by the rioters and sexually assaulted,” she said.

"Over clean chit to the then Gujarat Chief Minister and current Prime Minister by the Special Investigation Team, Zakia said, “That is up to the judiciary and the power is with them, but I am fighting with my son and daughter”. Significantly, the Supreme Court on June 24 dismissed the petition filed by human rights lawyer Teesta Setalvad on behalf of Zakia Jafri in which the latter challenged the SIT's clean chit to Modi and others in February 2002 riots in Gujarat.

Two days after the judgment, Teesta was arrested by the Gujarat police, which cited the SC judgment for her arrest. The SC had said in its judgment, “As a matter of fact, all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with the law.” The preceding day, former IPS officer RB Sreekumar, associated with the case was also arrested by the police. Zakia said that Teesta had told her on the phone that she cannot come to the court fearing she will be arrested again.