It was the first time that Modi, long accused by human rights groups of turning a blind eye to the pogrom, has been questioned by investigators to establish if he had a role in the riots that killed around 2,000 Muslims.
"The panel has had detailed interaction with me. I have said before India's constitution and the law are supreme... no one is above the law," a calm-looking Modi said as he emerged after more than five hours of questioning.
He stressed the impartiality of the panel, noting it was made up of Supreme Court-appointed investigators and none from his own state of Gujarat.
Modi chose to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) without a lawyer but took a four-hour long break in between to consult BJP leader Arun Jaitley, a Supreme Court advocate, who is also leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, party sources said. Jaitley had flown here especially for the day.
The panel summons to Modi, issued March 11, come as a major embarrassment to the chief minister, who has always denied any role in the riots.
The summons followed a Supreme Court order to investigators last year to probe a complaint filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of ex-Congress party MP Ehsan Jafri, who was killed on Feb. 28, 2002 by an armed mob of Hindu zealots.
Reports said Jafri was hacked to death and burnt by Hindu extremists who stormed the Gulbarg Society, a residential complex housing Muslim families in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's largest city.
Reports also said Modi spurned Jafri's pleas for help just before the mob broke through the gates and entered the premises.
Sixty-eight other Muslims were also killed in the Gulbarg Society massacre, one of many killings across Gujarat triggered by the death of 59 Hindu pilgrims in a train fire on February 27, 2002 that was blamed on Muslims.
An inquiry in 2005 concluded that the fire was accidental.
The SIT is believed to have based most of its questions on some of the issues raised by Zakia in her 100-page petition to the Supreme Court. According to sources, privy to the SIT questioning, some of the questions asked were: Did you give a Gujarat shutdown call following the Godhra incident? Who sent ministers to police control rooms during the riots? (Some ministers were alleged to have taken over the control rooms in Gujarat stopping police from taking any action) What happened at the Feb. 27, 2002 meeting held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation following the Godhra train burning? Do you know about calls made by Jafri to your office? (the Congress leader had reportedly called up the chief minister's office several times for help after his house was surrounded by rioters)
The BJP said Modi's appearance before the panel in no way tarnished his image.
"We have right from day one said Modi will cooperate with the process of law," said BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar. "This process cannot be interpreted as a setback." But for those seeking justice for the riot victims, Modi's appearance before the panel was in itself a victory.
"We have full faith that with the Supreme Court's eagle eye on this, justice will be done," said Teesta Setalvad, an activist backing the victims.
Zakia Jafri said her joy knew no bounds.
"I cannot say how happy I am that Modi is appearing before the panel... He is appearing before the panel. He will have to say something." Previous investigations into the riots commissioned by the Gujarat government have absolved the state police and government of collusion for allowing the rioters a free rein.
But last March, Gujarat's Women and Child Welfare Minister Maya Kodnani was arrested on charges of leading a mob that killed more than 100 people during the riots, making her the highest-ranking state official to be detained.
