Zakia Jafri, a survivor of the Gulberg Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots, has died at the age of 86 due to age-related issues. She has been a prominent figure in the fight for justice for the victims of the riots and had filed a plea in the Supreme Court against the clean chit given to then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. The FM has announced income tax rebates and lower tax rates for various income categories.
Zakia Jafri: A Tireless Fighter for Justice
Background
Zakia Jafri, a courageous survivor of the horrific Gulberg Society massacre during the 2002 Gujarat riots, passed away on August 8, 2023, at the age of 86. The riots, fueled by communal tensions, claimed the lives of over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims.
Gulberg Society, located in the eastern part of Ahmedabad, was home to many Muslim families. On February 28, 2002, a mob attacked the society, killing 69 people, including Jafri's husband, Ehsan Jafri, a former Congress MP.
Jafri's Fight for Justice
Following the massacre, Jafri became a symbol of hope and resilience. She tirelessly pursued justice for the victims, filing a plea in the Supreme Court in 2006 alleging a larger conspiracy behind the riots and implicating the then Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.
Jafri's plea alleged that Modi and other high-ranking state officials had deliberately orchestrated the violence against Muslims. The Supreme Court appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. In 2012, the SIT submitted its report, giving a clean chit to Modi.
Jafri challenged the SIT report, but the Supreme Court upheld it in 2013. However, in 2017, the court allowed Jafri to file a protest petition against the SIT's findings. The proceedings in the Supreme Court continued until Jafri's death.
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