Ahmedabad, Bangalore:
Narendra Modi may be BJP's future PM candidate, but the post-Godhra riots have come back to haunt him. The Supreme Court's order to set up fast track courts to probe the 2002 Gujarat riots will now examine the conspiracy behind the riots.
It aims to scratch more than the surface -- a move that could spell trouble for not just Gujarat CM but for other top ranking officials as well.
So far, the Special Investigation Team set up by the Supreme Court has focused only on those directly involved.
"Till now the investigations done by SIT is strictly to do with the accused who are directly involved with the violence. The SIT has not done even the slightest investigation into the conspiracy of this violence," said Mukul Sinha, a member of the Jan Sangharsh Manch.
Earlier, legal hurdles came in the way of probing the conspiracy.
FIRs filed in prominent riot cases like the Gulberg Society and Naroda Patiya massacres, had no mention of conspiracy that could implicate Modi and others.
Instead, they only charged the immediate accused with murder and assault.
Now the Supreme Court has given an option to the SIT to include any other legal provisions needed to widen the investigations.
"The Supreme Court has chosen to repose so much faith in us. And that itself is an incentive," said SIT Chairman R K Raghavan.
It is all now in the hands of SIT officials whether to extend probe of Gujarat riot cases towards the conspirators or not? If the SIT wishes to do so, things may heat up, not only for Modi but also for few key political faces in Gujarat BJP and top cops.