Zakia Jafri is the wife of late Indian politician and Member of Parliament Ehsan Jafri. He is known for filing several lawsuits against the Gujarat government’s alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Contents
wiki/bio
Zakia Ahsan Jafri was born in 1937 (age 85; as of 2022) in Khandwa, Indore, British India (now Madhya Pradesh, India).
family
Zakia Jafri belongs to a Muslim family in Madhya Pradesh.
Parents
His father was a farmer.
husband and children
Her husband, Ehsan Jafri, was a politician and lawyer. He was killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots when a mob attacked his residence in the Gulbarg community.
Zakia and Ehsan Jafri together
His daughter, Nisrin Jafri Hussain, is a deputy manager at Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Zakia Jafri with her daughter Nisrin Hussain
His elder son Tanveer Jafri is a businessman.
Zakia Jaffrey with her son Tanveer Jaffrey
His younger son, Zubair Jaffrey, is the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of a US-based private firm.
Zakia and Ehsan Jafri with their younger son Zubair
religion
Zakia Jafri follows Islam.
Zakia Jafri prays in her home
1969 rebellion in Madhya Pradesh
In 1969, communal riots took place in Zakia Jafri’s hometown of Khandwa, resulting in the destruction of his house by fire. As a result, Zakia moved to a refugee camp with her family. In 1970, after spending several months in a refugee camp, Zakia moved to Ahmedabad with her husband.
Photo of Zakia Jafri taken in the early 1960s
2002 Gujarat riots
On 27 February 2002, coach S-6 of the Sabarmati Express, carrying Hindu pilgrims from Ayodhya to Gujarat, caught fire, killing 59 pilgrims. According to the Nanavati-Mehta Commission report, the train was set on fire by a Muslim mob of 1,000 to 2,000. In 2002, the central government set up a commission to further investigate the train fire, which in its report stated that the fire was caused by an accident. In 2003, the commission was conducted unconstitutionally. After the burning of the train, massive riots broke out in Gujarat. On February 28, 2002, a mob surrounded the Muslim-majority Gulbarg community with the intention of burning it down. Many residents went to Ehsan Jafri’s house to take refuge from the angry mob. The mob somehow managed to break into the community building and started attacking the residents. They even set Ehsan Jafri’s house on fire, killing more than 69 people. After his bungalow was burnt down, the mob dragged Ehsan out of his house and brutally lynched him. While the mob was attacking the house, Zakia Jafri hid on the first floor of the house and was saved.
Zakia Jafri’s house, which was burnt down by a mob in 2002
Appeal to the Supreme Court
On 8 June 2006, Zakia Jafri, along with social activist Teesta Setalvad, former DGP of Gujarat RB Sreekumar and former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, filed a joint petition in the Supreme Court in which she alleged that the 2002 Gujarat riots were instigated by the then leader of Gujarat. and Jaideep Patel, and the then DGP of Gujarat PC Pandey. Following the petition, the Supreme Court constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2008 under the chairmanship of then Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief RK Raghavan. In 2010, the SIT submitted its report to the Supreme Court, after which the apex court submitted its report to its amicus curiae (court counsel), Raju Ramachandran. In the same year, the amicus curiae submitted its report to the court in which it pointed out the discrepancies found in the SIT report. In 2011, rejecting the amicus curiae observations, the SIT submitted its closure report. On April 10, 2012, finding no convincing evidence, the Supreme Court acquitted all the accused, including the then CM of Gujarat. On 15 April 2013, Teesta Setalvad’s NGO, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and Zakia Jafri filed a joint petition in the Supreme Court seeking the handover of evidence collected by the SIT to the petitioners for investigation. In a counter-complaint the same year, the SIT said,
Teesta Setalvad and others have fabricated a complaint against the Chief Minister who never said go and kill people. Their lawyer also stated that the so-called The incident where the Chief Minister (Narendra Modi) gave instructions (in a meeting) to top police officers not to take action against rioters is Teesta Setalwad’s sole creation. There is no evidence of this and that Setalvad was not present at the time of the incident.”
Gulbarg community massacre trial
In 2006, following Zakia Jafri’s PIL in the Supreme Court, a case was registered against sixty people for their alleged involvement in the massacre of the Gulbarg community. On June 17, 2016, the Supreme Court issued a verdict against the defendant. In its verdict, the High Court acquitted 36 people due to lack of evidence against them and convicted 24 people for their active participation in the 2002 massacre of the Gulbarg community. The court, while handing down the sentence to the convicts, termed February 28, 2002 as “the darkest day in the history of Gujarat’s civil society”. Of the 24 convicts, 11 were sentenced to life imprisonment, one to ten years of imprisonment, and twelve to seven years of imprisonment. After the court announced the verdict, Zakia Jafri expressed her disappointment. In an interview he said,
All those convicted were part of the same riot that committed the heinous crime and should have been sentenced equally to life imprisonment. Those who were acquitted earlier should also appear before the court. I would consult his attorneys about the next course of action. It’s not over for me. I will continue the work of the justified. This is injustice. A man who had done so much for the people was hacked and burned in the streets. I cannot agree with that. I ask for life imprisonment for all the convicts, because everyone was present that day.”
Petition of SIT clean bird against the accused
On 13 November 2018, Zakia Jaffrey, Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt filed a joint petition in the Supreme Court challenging the SIT and Supreme Court’s acquittal of the 2002 Gujarat riots accused, including Prime Minister Narendra. In June 2022, the Supreme Court, upholding the SIT’s inquiry report, dismissed the joint petition. The court in its judgment said that Teesta, Sreekumar and Bhat played on Zakia Jaffrey’s emotions for their advances. The court stated in its decision,
Teesta and others pursued this lie with a vengeance for their hidden designs using Zakia Jafri’s emotions and moods. Proceedings have been going on for the past 16 years to keep the pot boiling for the ultimate design. All those involved in abusing this process should be brought to trial and dealt with to the full extent of the law. Challenging the court’s 2012 decision is ill-intentioned and at the behest of someone. The falsity of their claims was fully exposed by the SIT after a thorough investigation.
Facts/Trivia
- Every year on February 28, Zakia Jafri visits her home, which was gutted by fire during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Zakia Jafri in his house, which was burnt down
- In 2022, more than ninety former bureaucrats and several activists asked the Supreme Court to withdraw and revise the observations made during the judgment delivered in June 2022.
Categories: Sports
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
