Zakia Jafri, the lady who took on Narendra Modi and became the face of resilience in seeking justice in the Gujarat Riots case, breathed her last on February 1 in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad at the age of 86. Jafri was a symbol of strength and courage who gave hope to many hopeless victims of Gujarat riots of 2002.
Zakia Jafri will be remembered for her 16-year-long legal battle seeking the implication of the then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and 62 others for the alleged larger conspiracy behind the post-Godhra riots.
In 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed Jafri’s plea against the clean chit given by the special investigation team (SIT) to Narendra Modi and others in connection with the riots case.
Jafri was born in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. She was the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed during the Gulberg Society massacre, in which 69 people were murdered during the 2002 riots. Although Jafri was declared dead, neither the police nor the family found any remains of his body.
Her life took a dramatic turn after the killing of her husband and she became a vocal advocate for justice and human rights, particularly seeking justice for the victims of communal violence. She was a social activist and contributed notably to legal struggles related to communal violence cases.
In 2006, Jafri filed a complaint against 63 individuals, including Narendra Modi, alleging a larger conspiracy behind the riots. The Supreme Court later appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate her allegations. However, in its final report in 2012, the SIT gave a clean chit to Modi and others, stating that there was no prosecutable evidence.
Jafri challenged this in court, but her petition was rejected by the Magistrate’s Court in 2013, and the Gujarat High Court upheld the dismissal decision in 2017. Despite repeated legal setbacks, she continued her fight. In 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed her plea, upholding the SIT’s findings and ruling that her allegations of a larger conspiracy at the highest level were unfounded.
With Teesta Setalvad as co-petitioner, Jafri had petitioned several courts seeking action against government representatives for their alleged role in the riots.
“Zakia Appa, a compassionate leader of the human rights community, has passed away. Her visionary presence will be missed by the nation, family, friends and the world,” Teesta Setalvad posted on X.
Apart from her legal battle, Zakia Jafri worked for the cause of human rights and communal harmony. She played a key role in advocating for the rights of marginalized communities affected by the riots and supported efforts to empower women survivors.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that Zakia’s fight was a “shining chapter in the history of secular India”. He further said, “It is a sad fact that justice has not been ensured even today.”
Of the 72 accused in the Gulberg Society case, 24 were convicted in 2016 by the special court, 11 of them awarded life sentences. All of them were out on bail in 2022.
Jafri’s contributions have been recognized through various awards, including the Stree Shakti Puraskar (2010) for her grit and determination in seeking justice.
Zakia Jafri’s fight for justice was long and arduous, filled with legal battles that spanned over two decades. Despite setbacks, she remained committed to uncovering the truth behind her husband’s killing.
