The Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi has lashed out at United Nations Human Rights Commission over their unwarranted comment on the arrest of Teesta Setalvad and two others. The MEA has called out the UN body’s comments as misleading and unacceptable.
The arrest of Setalvad, ex-Police officer Sanjiv Bhatt and former Gujarat DGP & AAP leader RB Sreekumar came after they were accused of generating sensation by lying to investigators about the 2002 Gujarat riots. The arrests had come soon after the Supreme Court gave its verdict on the Zakia Jafri case, citing how lies were spread to incite violence and ‘keep the pot boiling’.
Upon the development, the UN Human Rights Commission put out a tweet against the arrest of the so-called activist and ex-police officials.
In a tweet, the UN Human rights body said, “We are very concerned by the arrest and detention of Teesta Setalvad and two ex-police officers and call for their immediate release. They must not be persecuted for their activism and solidarity with the victims of the 2002 Gujarat Riots.”
🇮🇳#India: We are very concerned by the arrest and detention of #WHRD @TeestaSetalvad and two ex police officers and call for their immediate release. They must not be persecuted for their activism and solidarity with the victims of the 2002 #GujaratRiots.
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 28, 2022
With its comment, the committee suggested that Setalvad and others were being persecuted for their activism.
In a stern reply by the Ministry of External Affairs, Official Spokesperson Shri Arindam Bagchi said, “We have seen a comment by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regarding legal action against Teesta Setalvad and two other persons. The remarks by OHCHR are completely unwarranted and constitute an interference in India’s independent judicial system.”
“Authorities in India act against violations of law strictly in accordance with established judicial processes. Labelling such legal actions as persecution for activism is misleading and unacceptable,” he further added.
On June 26, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad took so-called activist Teesta Setalvad into custody after an FIR for forgery was registered against her and others under several sections of the Indian Penal Code. Setalvad, who under the guise of her activism, was found influencing witnesses in the Gujarat riots case, was booked under IPC 468 (Forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged document or record as genuine), 194 (Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence) and other sections of the IPC alongside two others.
