2002 Gujarat riots case: Ahmedabad court rejects bail plea of Teesta Setalvad and RB Sreekumar, arrested for fabrication of evidence
The judge said that the arrests were made after the SC order in Zakia Jafri case, and the SIT is investigating the allegations of fabrication of evidence by the accused.
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Ahmedabad, July 30: A sessions court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat rejected the bail application filed by Teesta Setalvad and former IPS officer RB Sreekumar today. They had filed this application after their arrest in the case of fabrication of evidence related to the 2002 riots case.
Teesta Setalvad, R B Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt were arrested by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) police last month after SC rejected a plea by Zakia Jafri, wife of deceased former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, seeking probe against PM Narendra Modi claiming a larger conspiracy into Gujarat riots after the Godhra massacre.
Following the SC order, Gujarat Police had filed a case Teesta Setalvad, Sanjiv Bhatt and R B Sreekumar 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 IPC.
With this, Setalvad and Sreekumar were arrested, while Bhatt was already in jail after his conviction in a custodial death case.
Additional Sessions Judge DD Thakkar denied Setalvad and Sreekumar’s bail applications on the day of his retirement, a few hours before his farewell program. The court withheld its decision last week after hearing arguments from attorneys for Setalvad, Sreekumar, and the prosecution.
The judge said that the arrests were made after the SC order in Zakia Jafri case, and the SIT is investigating the allegations of fabrication of evidence by the accused.
Teesta Setalvad, R B Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt were arrested by Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) police last month after SC rejected a plea by Zakia Jafri, wife of deceased former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, seeking probe against PM Narendra Modi claiming a larger conspiracy into Gujarat riots after the Godhra massacre.
In the judgement, SC said that Teesta Setalvad had exploited the emotions of Zakia Jafri. The court had also said R B Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt had given false testimonies accusing CM Modi of conspiring to trigger the riots.
With this, Setalvad and Sreekumar were arrested, while Bhatt was already in jail after his conviction in a custodial death case.