MEA condemns OHCHR intervention in Teesta Setalvad’s legal case as ‘unwarranted.’
29 June, 2022 | Vaishali Sharma
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) chastised the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday for "totally unnecessary" Human Rights meddling against Teesta Setalvad...
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) chastised the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday for “totally unnecessary” Human Rights meddling against Teesta Setalvad and two other people.
In response to media queries on a comment by OHCHR regarding legal action against Teesta Setalvad, MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We have seen a comment by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) regarding legal action against Teesta Setalvad and two other persons. The remarks by OHCHR are completely unwarranted and constitute an interference in India’s independent judicial system.” The OHCHR earlier had voiced concern over the arrest and detention of Setalvad and called for her immediate release.
“Authorities in India act against violations of law strictly in accordance with established judicial processes. Labelling such legal actions as persecution for activism is misleading and unacceptable,” said Bagchi.
Earlier on Sunday, the Gujarat government agreed to appoint a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by DIG Deepan Bhadran of the state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad to look into the roles of Setalvad, Sreekumar, and retired IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
An FIR has been filed against Setalvad, Sreekumar, and retired IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots, according to a top police official.
Meanwhile, a metropolitan court ordered remand to the Ahmedabad crime branch for questioning of social activist Teesta Setalvad and former Gujarat DGP RB Sreekumar till July 2.
Seetalvad and Sreekumar were granted remand in a case filed against them on forgery and criminal conspiracy accusations, among other things.
The Gujarat Police Crime Branch detained Teesta Setalvad on Sunday in connection with a case against her NGO for providing the police with false information concerning the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The move was taken after Union Minister Amit Shah stated in an interview with ANI that a Teesta Setalvad-run NGO provided the police with false material concerning the 2002 Gujarat riots.
On Saturday, a Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) squad apprehended Setalvad in Mumbai in connection with a case involving her NGO, and she was transferred to Ahmedabad later that night.