There was unrest and violence all across State of Gujarat…  

It is only because of Mr. Sanjiv Bhatt and Mr. Haren Pandya, who unabashedly claimed to be privy to utterances made, Court was required to move into action taking serious note of same. But, after thorough investigation by SIT, falsity of such claim has been fully exposed on basis of credible indisputable materials collated during investigation.

The entire focus has been to highlight so-called undisputed extra-judicial confessions recorded in Tehelka tapes to be read with inaction demonstrable. This argument, we unhesitatingly opine, is nothing short of a red herring. To make out a case of larger criminal conspiracy, it is essential to establish a link indicative of meeting of minds. No such link is forthcoming.

The protagonists sitting in a comfortable environment in their air-conditioned office may succeed in connecting failures, little knowing or even referring to ground realities and continual effort put in. There is no tittle of material, much less tangible material, to support, Godhra and events which followed were pre-planned owing to criminal conspiracy hatched at highest level.

– Three-Judge Bench of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, Zakia Ahsan Jafri v. State of Gujarat, [Criminal Appeal No. 912 of 2022].