Gujarat Govt Opposes Discharge Plea of Teesta Setalvad

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Gujarat authorities has opposed the discharge utility filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad in a periods court docket right here in a case of the alleged fabrication of proof to border harmless individuals in 2002 post-Godhra riot circumstances.

The federal government on Monday informed the court docket of further periods choose Ambalal Patel that Setalvad had abused the belief of the 2002 riots victims.

Setalvad drafted affidavits of their names to implicate harmless individuals together with then chief minister (Narendra Modi), senior officers, and ministers, the federal government affidavit stated. Notably, the Supreme Court docket on Saturday protected Setalvad from arrest and stayed for per week the Gujarat Excessive Court docket order rejecting her plea for normal bail and asking her to give up instantly within the case of the alleged fabrication of proof.

The case towards Setalvad and two different accused — former Director Common of Police (DGP) RB Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt — is being heard within the court docket of further periods choose. The court docket had earlier rejected Sreekumar’s discharge plea.

Whereas opposing Setalvad’s discharge plea, the federal government has relied on the statements of witnesses Rais Khan Pathan, who labored on the activist’s NGO Citizen for Peace, Narendra Brahmbhatt who had claimed that late Congress chief Ahmed Patel had allegedly paid the activist Rs 30 lakh, and riot sufferer Qutubuddin Ansari.

The federal government additionally highlighted the ”contradiction” within the affidavits of riot victims ready by Setalvad and the statements recorded by them earlier than the court docket.

”There’s adequate proof and causes to file a chargesheet towards the accused. For the explanations talked about above and considering the explanations and submissions to be offered in the course of the argument, the court docket is requested to reject the discharge plea of the accused,” the federal government’s affidavit stated.

SC Grants Interim Safety to Teesta Setalvad, Stays Gujarat HC Order

Setalvad was arrested in June final 12 months together with former Gujarat Director Common of Police R B Sreekumar and ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in an offence registered by Ahmedabad crime department police for allegedly fabricating proof to border “harmless individuals” within the post-Godhra riots circumstances.

She was launched on interim bail on September 3.

In its judgment, the excessive court docket had noticed that prima facie Setalvad used her shut associates and riot victims to file “false and fabricated affidavits earlier than the Supreme Court docket with a view to unseat the institution and to tarnish the picture of firm and the then chief minister (Modi)”.

The fabrication of proof case towards Setalvad, Bhatt and Sreekumar was registered a day after the Supreme Court docket’s verdict within the Zakia Jafri case.

The apex court docket had dismissed a plea of Jafri, the spouse of slain former MP Ehsan Jafri, difficult the Particular Investigation Staff’s (SIT) clear chit to 64 individuals, together with then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, within the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

Earlier, the Ahmedabad periods court docket had rejected the bail functions of Setalvad and Sreekumar.

Final month, the trial court docket rejected Sreekumar’s plea for discharge within the case. Sreekumar can be out on interim bail granted by the excessive court docket.

Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, the third accused within the case, has not utilized for bail. Bhatt is already in jail for one more prison matter when he was arrested on this case.

The Ahmedabad metropolis crime department had registered a First Data Report (FIR) towards Setalvad and two others below Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for dishonest) and 194 (fabricating false proof with intent to acquire conviction for capital offences) of the Indian Penal Code.