On Saturday, July 2, the Ahmedabad Metropolitan court sent IPS officer RB Sreekumar and propagandist Teesta Setalvad to 14 days of judicial custody. The case came up for hearing in the Ahmedabad Court after the duo’s police custody ended today. The duo was sent to judicial custody after Delhi police said that it no more required the custody of the duo and asked the court to keep them in judicial custody.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Police didn’t seek further remand of accused Teesta Setalvad & RB Sreekumar and asked the court to keep them in judicial custody. The Metropolitan court has sent them to 14-day judicial custody: Amit Patel, Public Prosecutor pic.twitter.com/yNYR4wybDQ
— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2022
Teesta Setalvad and RB Sreekumar were sent to police custody until July 2 for fabricating evidence to frame innocent persons in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots
Notably, on June 26, the Ahmedabad Metropolitan court had ordered activist Teesta Setalvad and former IPS officer RB Sreekumar to be held in police custody till July 2 in the case of fabricating evidence to frame innocent persons in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Teesta Setalvad and the other accused were arrested after the Delhi police crime branch testified before the court that they politicised and sensationalised the Gujarat riots case. “False pre-signed affidavits and statements were submitted to the Supreme Court. The accused wanted to frame innocent people on murder and rape charges and demanded capital punishment,” it said.
The Police had further alleged to the court that the accused did this at the behest of their political masters. “Who are the political masters that need to be investigated? What benefits did they get from the political masters in terms of politics, money, or something else that needs to be investigated?” the crime branch asked.
Gujarat Police files a case against IPS officers Sanjiv Bhatt and R B Sreekumar and activist Teesta Setalvad
It may be recalled that a day after the Supreme Court said that false allegations of ‘larger conspiracy’ were made in the Gujarat riots case, Gujarat police filed a case against former IPS officers Sanjiv Bhatt and R B Sreekumar, and activist Teesta Setalvad.
The crime branch of Ahmedabad police has booked the three under sections 468 (Forgery for 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), 211 (False charge of offence made with intent to injure), 218 (Public servant framing incorrect record), and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the India Penal Code.
In the FIR, it has been said that the accused had tried to create a sensation by making false claims about the Gujarat riots. The falsity of their claims had been fully exposed by the SIT after a thorough investigation, the FIR said. It added that the proceedings have been pursued for the last 16 years, including with the audacity to question the integrity of every functionary involved in the process of exposing the devious stratagem adopted to keep the pot boiling, obviously for ulterior design.
All those involved in such abuse of process need to be in the dock and proceed in accordance with the law, the FIR further stated.
Among the three named in the FIR, former DGP R B Sreekumar and Teesta Setalvad were arrested on June 25. Teesta was arrested by Gujarat police from her home in the Juhu area in Mumbai at around 3 pm on Saturday (June 25). Similarly, Sreekumar was also taken to the crime branch in Ahmedabad. After his retirement, he was working with Teesta on the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. He is also a leader in AAP, which he joined in 2014. Sanjiv Bhatt is already in jail as he was convicted in a custodial death case.
SC gives clean chit to PM Modi, Amit Shah and others in the 2002 Gujarat riots case
Friday saw the Supreme Court reject claims of a larger conspiracy into the Gujarat riots by PM Narendra Modi and other top Gujarat officials. These allegations were levelled by Zakia Jafri, the wife of deceased former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri. At that time, Modi was Gujarat’s chief minister.
While delivering its verdict, the apex court said that the “appeal is devoid of merits”. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar refused to order a probe into allegations of a “larger conspiracy” behind the Gujarat riots.
The Supreme Court said in its judgment that Teesta Setalvad, a co-petitioner in the case, exploited the emotions of Zakia Jafri. The court denied Zakia Jafri’s request to reconsider the Special Investigation Team’s decision to exonerate Modi in the riots case.
