As Teesta Setalvad had a medical examination today at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) is set to present her before the magistrate’s court today.
“They completed my medical exam. The ATS hurt me, as seen by the noticeable bruise on my hand. I’m being transported to the magistrate’s court, “commented Teesta Setalvad. She was transported to Ahmedabad after being held earlier on Saturday by the Gujarat Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with a case involving her NGO when she was in Mumbai.
Teesta Setalvad was brought yesterday to the Santacruz police station by the Gujarat ATS squad.
The response came after Union Minister Amit Shah said in an interview that a Teesta Setalvad-run NGO had given the police false information regarding the riots in Gujarat in 2002.
“I gave the judgement a close read. Teesta Setalvad’s name is expressly mentioned in the ruling. I can’t recall the name of the NGO she was in charge of, but it had provided the police with false information about the riots ” stated Amit Shah.
Zakia Jafri’s appeal against the SIT’s “clean chit” given to Narendra Modi, the former chief minister of Gujarat, and others in charges relating to the riots was dismissed as “devoid of merit” by the Supreme Court on Friday. Ehsan Jafri, a former Congressman, was slain during the riots, and Zakia Jafri is his widow.
When questioned about mentioning NGOs, Shah replied, “I hastily read the ruling, but Teesta Setalvad’s name is clearly stated. It was Setalvad’s NGO that submitted an application including BJP members in each police station, and because of the intense media pressure, each application was taken as gospel.”
Special Investigation Team (SIT) gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the Gujarat chief minister at the time, a clean bill of health in the Gujarat riots case in 2012. However, a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court ruled that Setalvad, a co-petitioner in the case, had taken advantage of Zakia Jafri’s feelings.
The case relates to what became known as the Gulbarg Society incident, in which 68 people—including former Congress member Ehsan Jafri—were killed during rioting that broke out in February 2002 after a railway carriage carrying 59 passengers was set afire.
