Gujarat Police Takes Teesta Setalvad Into Custody From Mumbai After Supreme Court Ruling In Riots Case

The Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad has taken activist Teesta Setalvad into custody from her residence at Mumbai a day after the Supreme Court ratified the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat Riots Case. She is to be taken to Ahmedabad.

She was one of the petitioners in the plea seeking probe into alleged larger conspiracy behind Gujarat riots, which the Supreme Court dismissed yesterday.

The FIR is on allegations of fabricating evidence and instituting false proceedings in relation to Gujarat riots conspiracy case. While dismissing the plea alleging larger conspiracy into Gujarat Riots, the Supreme Court had observed that the petition was filed with "ulterior motives" to "keep the pot boiling". The Court further said that action should be taken against those who abused process of law.

In its order the SC observed that a "coalesced effort" of disgruntled officials from Gujarat and others was to make false sensational revelations, which the Gujarat SIT "exposed."

"Intriguingly, the present proceedings have been pursued for last 16 years… to keep the pot boiling, obviously, for ulterior design. As a matter of fact, all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with law."

The complaint by the Gujarat police names Setalvad, Retd IPS Officer RB Sreekumar and imprisoned former DIG (Gujarat) Sanjeev Bhatt alleging offences of forgery (468,471), giving false evidence (194), conspiracy (120B), fabricating records (218), false charges (211).

"...for finding out the behind the scenes criminal conspiracy and financial and other benefits for commission of various serious offences in collusion with other individuals, entities and organisations," the Gujarat Police complaint states.

Teesta alleged that her arrest was illegal. In a handwritten complaint to the Santacruz police, she alleged that she was restrained from speaking to her lawyer, and claimed there was no warrant and that copy of FIR was not shown to her.

In a related development, the Gujarat police arrested RB Sreekumar, who was Addl DGP of Gujarat in 2002 in the same FIR. He was arrested from Gandhinagar.