As anticipated, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi failed to show up before the Supreme Court-appointed SIT, which had summoned him on Sunday for questioning in connection with a 2002 riots case.

Sources in the investigating team said they had not received any communication from the state government regarding the summons which were issued on March 11. Official sources said the senior BJP leader was exploring legal alternatives in response to the summons by the SIT and may seek appearance before the panel during the coming week if left with no choice.

The SIT chose to remain mum on the choices before it if Modi failed to appear indefinitely. SIT chief RK Raghvan confirmed to The Indian Express late on Sunday evening that there had been no word from Modi. ?We are still waiting for a response,? he said. Asked what the SIT?s line of action would be if Modi didn?t turn up at all, Raghvan said: ?We will wait.?

The office of the SIT in Gandhinagar was kept open on Sunday and its members were present in case Modi presented himself. It was the first time that the 59-year-old chief minister had been called for questioning in connection with the riots. Modi was summoned by the SIT with regard to a complaint filed by Zakia Jafri, wife of slain former MP Eshan Jafri, who was killed in the Gulberg Society massacre in February 2002. The former Congress MP was killed along with 69 others.

The Supreme Court, on April 27 last year, asked the SIT to inquire into Jafri?s complaint in which she alleged that Modi and 62 others, including his Cabinet colleagues, police officials and senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the riots.

Zakia accused Modi of conspiring and giving instructions to the then director general of police and other senior officials to allow Hindus to give vent to their anger against Muslims.

Out of the 62 named in the petition, the SIT has already questioned a number of politicians and police officers, including the then minister of state for Home Gordhan Zadafia, former BJP leader Suresh Mehta, and senior cops Rahul Sharma and R B Sreekumar. The Congress attacked Modi for not appearing before the SIT, saying it was ?contemptuous? and showed that he ?loves to hide?.

BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy evaded a direct reply. ?The government of Gujarat has made it clear that it shall act as per the law… This government has always supported and respected the law and will abide by it,? he said.