Ms. Jafri had filed a petition in the apex court in 2018 challenging the Gujarat High Court’s October 5, 2017 order.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to April 14 the hearing of a petition filed by Zakia Jafri, the widow of slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, against the Special Investigation Team (SIT)’s clean chit to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Godhra riots.

A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar postponed the hearing on a request by the petitioner’s side.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, for the State of Gujarat, requested the Bench to make it clear in its written order that the case was adjourned on the request of the petitioner’s side and not the State. “If not, it is possible something else will be read into the adjournment,” he submitted.

Justice Khanwilkar said the court could not keep adjourning the case.

“We cannot keep adjourning this. We have to hear it some day...” Justice Khanwilkar addressed the petitioner side.

During a previous hearing, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the SIT, had objected to both the plea made by Ms. Jafri and an intervention by activist Teesta Setalvad in the case.

Senior advocate C.U. Singh, for Ms. Jafri, had countered that her age was around 80 and Ms. Setalvad would be able to assist her in the case.

Mr. C.U. Singh had submitted that the SIT had given a clean chit in its closure report before a trial judge. The Magistrate had dismissed Ms. Jafri’s protests against the clean chit without going into the merits.

On February 8, 2012, the SIT had filed a closure report, giving a clean chit to Mr. Modi and 63 others, including senior government officials, saying there was “no prosecutable evidence” against them.