A witness in the 2002 post-Godhra riot case in Gulbarg society has told a court that ex-MP Ehsan Jaffery, who was killed in the incident, had called up Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for help but got disappointment.

Imtiaz Pathan, a first witness who deposed in the Gulbarg riot case in the last couple of days, claimed Jaffery, in whose house they had taken shelter during the riots, had called up Modi for help.

Pathan claimed that he had asked Jaffery about what Modi said, to which the ex-MP had replied that Modi instead of sending help had used offensive language with him on phone.

Pathan said this in the special court of judge B U Joshi appointed to hear the Gulbarg society riot case.

Pathan during his testimony also claimed he was not aware that Jaffery had a pistol with him and had fired in self defence in which a few people were killed.

He also identified 20 accused who were involved in the riot in Gulbarg society.

According to the chargesheet filed in the case, 39 people were killed while 34 went missing in the incident at Meghaninagar area of the city. The 34 people who were shown as missing have been declared dead as seven years have passed.

Jaffery's wife Zakia had in her earlier statement recorded by the SIT claimed that on the morning of February 28, 2002, her husband called up many leaders, including the then Police Commissioner P C Pande, for help as mobs started gathering outside Gulbarg society.

Zakia's statement is part of the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team appointed by the Supreme Court for re-investigations of some of the important riot cases.