A special court in Gujarat hearing the 2002 Gujarat riots case on Tuesday asked Bharatiya Janata Party National President Amit Shah to appear as a witness for Maya Kodnani, a party leader who was convicted of murder during the massacre, NDTV reported.

The judge said Shah must appear either in person or assign a lawyer on September 18 to respond to Kodnani’s claims that she was not present when 11 Muslims were killed in Naroda Gam.

The court’s orders come after Kodnani asked for more time to issue summons to Shah to appear in her defence. After repeated complaints from Kodnani to the court that she has not been able to contact Shah, the special court judge on Tuesday allowed Kodani’s lawyers to issue a summon to him, The Indian Express reported.

Kodnani has claimed that on February 28, 2002, the day of the riots in Gujarat, she was with Shah at the Gujarat Assembly.