The Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the role of Teesta Setalvad and others in a conspiracy against then-Chief Minister Narendra Modi said in the charge sheet filed against the so-called activist that she had conspired to ensure the death penalty for the CM. SIT said she conspired to defame the Gujarat government and fabricated evidence to ensure then-CM Modi was sentenced to death in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
#Breaking #TimesNowExclusive
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 21, 2022
TIMES NOW Exclusively accesses SIT charge-sheet against #TeestaSetalvad: Claims the activist tried to frame #PMModi in the 2002 Gujarat riots investigation, “Wanted death-sentence for Modi.”
Siddartha Talya and Amit Rajput with more on the story. pic.twitter.com/TwGSg1fx2o
SIT submitted a 100-page charge sheet against Setalvad, former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, and former Director General of Police RB Sreekumar (Retd) before the Ahmedabad metro court on Wednesday in the case related to alleged fabrication of evidence in connection to the Gujarat riots of 2002.
SIT said the accused allegedly plotted to get the death penalty for CM Modi. Though Sreekumar and Bhatt were part of the government, they helped Teesta by producing fake documents and adding them to the official entries. The aim, according to the charge sheet, was to end the political career of then-CM Modi and damage his reputation. They hired several lawyers to prepare fake documents and affidavits.
The charge sheet noted that the riot victims were manipulated, and they were forced to sign the fabricated statements. Furthermore, the statements were written in English, which was an alien language for several victims, and they could not understand what they were signing, the SIT said. If the witnesses refused to support Setalvad, they were threatened.
The SIT said in the charge sheet that RB Sreekumar allegedly threatened a witness and said, “If you don’t support Teesta, Muslims will turn against you, and you will be a target of the terrorists. If we start fighting among ourselves, the enemies will benefit, and so will Modi.” Riot victims were taken outside Gujarat by the accused to collect millions in donations on the pretext of ‘reducing their pain.’
Setalvad and several Congress leaders went to the riot victims camps to mislead them that they would not get justice in Gujarat, the SIT said. Victims were manipulated to submit applications to move the cases out of Gujarat by the accused.
The investigation team mentioned that IPS officer Bhatt was in touch with the NGOs, journalists, and opposition leaders via e-mails to help Teesta in her conspiracy against the CM. Bhatt would ask his contacts to create pressure on the Amicus Curie, the court, and other authorities. They were so deeply involved in their pursuit against then-CM Modi that they even kidnapped a witness who had refused to sign an affidavit prepared by Teesta. The witness was forced to sign, SIT said.
The arrest of Teesta Setalvad in fabricated evidence case linked to Gujarat Riots 2002
Teesta Setalvad, the self-proclaimed ‘activist’ was arrested by the Gujarat ATS in June 2022 in a case of forgery, influencing witnesses, and the investigation of the Gujarat riots in 2002 that occurred in the aftermath of the Godhra Train burning incident, when 59 Hindus were burned to death after a Muslim mob set ablaze a Sabarmati Express bogey carrying passengers from Ayodhya. Teesta Setalvad is accused of coaching witnesses and making ridiculous accusations in several cases related to the Gujarat riots in 2002.
The case against Setalvad was filed after the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Modi in the 2002 Gujarat Riots case. Teesta was granted bail on September 2 by the Supreme Court.
