Zakia Jafri, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed during the 2002 Gujarat riots, passed away in Ahmedabad on Saturday at the age of 86. Her relentless legal battle for justice made her a prominent figure in the fight for accountability in one of India’s most tragic communal riots.
Ehsan Jafri was among 69 people who were killed inside Gulbarg Society, a Muslim-dominated residential complex in Ahmedabad, on February 28, 2002. The massacre occurred a day after the burning of the Sabarmati Express train in Godhra, which resulted in the deaths of 59 ‘karsevaks’ returning from Ayodhya and triggered widespread violence across Gujarat.
Zakia Jafri became a symbol of resilience as she pursued legal action against top political leaders, seeking justice for the victims of the riots. “My mother was visiting my sister’s house in Ahmedabad when she suddenly felt uneasy. The doctor who was called in declared her dead around 11:30 am,” her son Tanveer Jafri said.
For years, Zakia visited the remnants of her home in Gulberg Society on the massacre’s anniversary. Her fight against the Gujarat government began in 2006 when she filed a complaint accusing the police of failing to register a case against then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other officials.
The Supreme Court ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe major riot cases, including Gulberg Society. However, in 2022, Zakia’s plea challenging the SIT’s clean chit to Modi and others was dismissed.