Gujarat Police claimed that Teesta Setalvad was part of a “larger conspiracy” at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to sack the BJP government in the state after the 2002 riots.
Activist Teesta Setalvad was arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence in the 2002 Gujarat riots case (PTI photo)
Gujarat Police protested this on Friday Activist Teesta Setalvad’s bail pleaShe claimed that she was part of a “big conspiracy” at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to sack the BJP government in the state after the 2002 riots.
“The political objective of the applicant (Setalvad) while carrying out this grand conspiracy was to dismiss or destabilize the elected government. He received illegal financial and other benefits and rewards from rival political party in return for his efforts to wrongly implicate innocent persons.” in Gujarat,” the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police said in an affidavit filed before the sessions court in Ahmedabad.
Referring to the statements of a witness, the SIT said that the conspiracy was done at the behest of the late Ahmed Patel. It alleged that Setalvad received Rs 30 lakh after the 2002 post-Godhra riots at Patel’s behest.
Activist Teesta Setalvad was arrested along with former Director General of Police RB Sreekumar for alleged fabrication of evidence in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.
Read | ‘I was assaulted, abused’: Activist Teesta Setalvad calls her arrest illegal
In its affidavit, the SIT further claimed that Setalvad used to “meet leaders of a major national party in power at that time in Delhi” to implicate the names of senior leaders of the BJP government in the riots cases.
It cited another witness to claim that in 2006 Setalvad had asked a Congress leader why the party was “only giving Shabana and Javed a chance” and not making them members of the Rajya Sabha.
The SIT also opposed the bail application on the ground that investigation against Setalvad is still on and if released, she may try to intimidate witnesses and tamper with evidence.
Additional Sessions Judge DD Thakkar took the SIT’s reply on record and adjourned the hearing on the bail plea to Monday.
one day after last month Supreme Court upholds clean chit given to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi And in the case of other Gujarat riots, the state police arrested Setalvad.
A case was registered against him under IPC sections 468 (forgery) and 194 (granting or fabricating false evidence with intent to obtain punishment for capital offence).
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