Supreme Court to hear Zakia Jafri plea against PM Modi in Gujarat riots on monday
NEW DELHI: 2002 Gujarat riots victim Zakia Jafri's petition challenging the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be heard by the Supreme Court on Monday. The Gujarat High Court had last year rejected the petition that alleges a "larger conspiracy" in the riots, and had upheld an SIT or Special Investigation Team's clean chit to top politicians including Mr Modi, who was then chief minister of Gujarat.
The report of the Supreme Court monitored SIT in 2012 had concluded that Chief Minister Modi took all possible steps to control the riots that swept through Gujarat in the aftermath of the killing of 59 people when coaches of the Sabarmati Express train were set on fire at Godhra station.
The petition filed by Zakia Jafri and the NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace, run by Teesta Setalvad, had sought a criminal trial, alleging that the Chief Minister had turned a blind eye to the violence.
Zakia Jafri, 80, is the widow of former Congress MP Ehsaan Jafri, who was among the 69 people massacred at Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad on 28 February 2002. Ehsaan Jafri, a former Congress parliamentarian, was dragged out, hacked and burnt by the rioters. The Congress leader's frantic phone calls to police officers and senior politicians for help went unanswered, Zakia Jafri had alleged.
She approached the high court in March 2014 against the SIT's report, which had also questioned the motive behind her complaint four years after the riots.
The massacre at Gulbarg Society - a cluster of 29 bungalows and 10 apartment buildings housing mostly Muslims - was among the 10 major Gujarat riot cases re-investigated by the special team appointed by the Supreme Court.
The trial court had ruled that Mr Jafri opening fire in self-defence had "acted as a catalyst and infuriated the mob".
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
