On Monday (1st January), the Gujarat High Court indicated that it was not inclined to grant any relief to controversial ‘activist’ Teesta Setalvad in the 2005 mass grave digging case.
The matter came up for hearing before Justice Sandeep Bhatt. He noted, “After going through the record, I am not inclined. You have to satisfy (the court).”
Advocate Yogesh Ravani, representing Teesta Setalvad, claimed that it was a case of ‘political victimisation.’ He said, “It is the prerogative of the lordship. We will try to convince the court because no offence is made out. Ultimately, it is political victimisation.”
Justice Sandeep Bhatt then pointed out, “It is a very broad word used nowadays (sic). The case has been adjourned till 9th January 2023.
The Background of the Case
In December 2005, media reports stated that a mass grave purportedly comprising the human remains of 21 Gujarat riot victims had been dug up along a riverbank in Lunawada village in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district.
Rais Khan, an activist with Teesta Setalvad’s NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace, allegedly unearthed the graves without authorisation from officials on the morning of December 27. Some of the victims’ families were also present with him.
Following the discovery of the remains, Teesta Setalvad appeared on CNN IBN to disclose the finding, causing a sensation across the country. Following that, the National Human Rights Commission took cognizance of the discovery and requested a report from the state government.
An FIR was also filed against twelve people for unlawfully exhuming remains from the municipality’s “official” burial place. Rais Khan was also named in the FIR for assisting locals in excavating these dead bodies. The other 11 accused were local tribals and victims’ families who had commenced the digging.
Khan later informed the police that the exhumation took place on the directive of Teesta Setalvad, following which the latter’s name was included in the FIR. The controversial ‘activist’ had filed a petition in the case in 2017.
It must be mentioned that the unveiling of the mass grave site caused a stir across the nation. According to an affidavit from a journalist cited in the book ‘The Truth About Teesta Setalvad,’ Setalvad manufactured the narrative of the mass graves to create a sensation.
She immediately used her media contacts and leveraged them to advance her goal. According to the book, Teesta led the public into believing that the Gujarat government was involved in the mass burial of religious minority group members.
An excerpt from an affidavit submitted by a journalist who was present during the exhumation of the graves is cited. The Journalist’s words show how far Teesta went to twist facts and manufacture lies in order to back her bogus claims.
