The Gujarat government told the court that Teesta Setalvad had betrayed the trust of the victims of the 2002 riots. (File)
Ahmedabad:
The Gujarat government has opposed the application for dismissal filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad at a session court in Ahmedabad in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence to incriminate innocent people in 2002 post-Godhra riots.
The government told Extra Sessions Court Judge Ambalal Patel on Monday that Ms Setalvad had betrayed the trust of the victims of the 2002 riots.
Ms Setalvad drafted affidavits in their name to implicate innocent persons, including the then chief minister (now prime minister, Narendra Modi), senior officers and ministers, the government’s affidavit said.
Notably, the Supreme Court on Saturday shielded Ms. Setalvad from arrest and stayed for a week the order of the Gujarat High Court denying her request for regular bail and asking her to surrender immediately in the case of alleged falsification of evidence.
The case against Ms Setalvad and two other defendants – former Director General of Police (DGP) RB Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt – is being heard in the extra session judge’s court. The court had previously rejected Mr Sreekumar’s application for dismissal.
While opposing Ms Setalvad’s plea for resignation, the government relied on the statements of witness Rais Khan Pathan, who worked at the activist Narendra Brahmbhatt’s NGO Citizen for Peace, who alleged that the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel had charged the activist Rs 30 lakh, and victim of riot Qutubuddin Ansari.
The government also highlighted the “contradiction” in the statements of riot victims prepared by Ms Setalvad and the statements they made in court.
“There is sufficient evidence and grounds for an indictment to be brought against the accused. For the reasons stated above and taking into account the reasons and comments to be submitted during the argument, the court is requested to enter the plea for remission of the accused,” the government’s affidavit said.
Setalvad was arrested in June last year along with former Director General of Gujarat Police, RB Sreekumar, and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in an offense registered by Ahmedabad Police for allegedly fabricating evidence to “innocent people” in the post-Godhra riots. fallen.
She was released on bail on September 3.
In its judgment, the Supreme Court had noted that Setalvad, on the face of it, used her close associates and victims of the riot to “file false and fabricated affidavits with the Supreme Court with the intention of dethroning the establishment and damaging the image of the establishment and the then chief.” minister (Prime Minister Modi)”.
The falsification of evidence against Ms. Setalvad, Mr. Bhatt and Mr. Sreekumar was registered one day after the Supreme Court ruling in Zakia Jafri case.
The Supreme Court had rejected a plea from Ms Jafri, the wife of slain former MP Ehsan Jafri, who challenged the clean case of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) against 64 people, including then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the Gujarat riot case from 2002.
Earlier, the Ahmedabad Session Court had rejected the bail applications of Ms. Setalvad and Mr. Sreekumar.
Last month, the court rejected Mr Sreekumar’s plea for dismissal in the case. Mr. Sreekumar is also free on bail by the high court.
Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the third suspect in the case, has not applied for bail. Mr Bhatt is already in jail for another criminal case when he was arrested in this case.
The Ahmedabad City Crime Department had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Ms. Setalvad and two others under sections 468 (forgery for fraud) and 194 (falsification of false evidence with intent to secure conviction for the death penalty) of Indian Penal Code. Code.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
