The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the SIT probing the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat to drop senior IPS officers--Geeta Johri and Shivanand Jha from its team and said the question of staying the trial will be considered after obtaining the state's response.

A three judge special bench of Justices D K Jain, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam which initially mulled the idea of staying the trial, agreed to pass appropriate orders on April 19, after the Narendra Modi Government stoutly opposed any order without hearing it.

The apex court was hearing an application of an NGO, Centre for Peace and Justice, seeking stay of trial of 10 cases monitored by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and sought transfer of the probe to CBI.

The Court's direction to the SIT to disassociate Johri and Jha from the team till further orders came after the NGO had made allegations against them that they were not properly assisting the Special Public Prosecutor in the trial.

Gujarat Government contended that the court cannot pass any order staying the trial until the affected parties like the State and the accused were supplied with the documents on which the proceedings were based.

Otherwise, it would be violation of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), it argued.

At the fag end of the hearing, Jha created a flutter when he rose from the visitor's gallery and told the court that officers who were being "dammed" should be heard before any orders are passed against them. The bench agreed to the same.

The bench also fixed April 28 for considering whether there was a need to continue with the SIT headed by former CBI director R K Raghavan in the wake of allegations levelled against the probe panel.

The hearing had commenced on a stormy note with the bench criticising the attitude of the SIT and at one stage was of the view of staying the trial.

However, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Gujarat Government, submitted that this court cannot pass any order without hearing and handing over the documents to the state as it would be against the law.

He also said there were adverse comments made by the SIT against the NGO and its office bearers.

He was supported by senior advocate Ram Jethmalani who was appearing for one of the accused named by Zakia Jafri, wife of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri in the complaint.

Jethamalani said "justice is a game which has to be played according to the rules but here is the game which is played without any rule".