Teesta Setalvad exploited emotions of Zakia Jafri in Gujarat riots case, says SC
India Today
The apex court, while upholding the SIT clean chit given to PM Modi in Gujarat riots case, said that activist Teesta Setalvad exploited the emotions of petitioner Zakia Jafri for "ulterior motives".
The Supreme Court, while upholding the Special Investigation Team's clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riots case, said that co-petitioner and activist Teesta Setalvad exploited the emotions of petitioner Zakia Jafri.
A three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar on Friday said there is no merit in Zakia Jafri's petition while upholding the 2012 order passed by Gujarat magistrate accepting the SIT report.
"Antecedents of Teesta Setalvad need to be reckoned with and also because she has been vindicively persecuting this lis [dispute] for her ulterior design by exploiting the emotions and sentiments of Zakia Jafri, the real victim of the circumstances," the apex court said in its order.
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The court said that there is a need for further investigation into Teesta Setalvad as she was using Zakia Jafri's feelings in the case for her own benefit.
"The protagonists of the quest for justice sitting in a comfortable environment in their air-conditioned office may succeed in connecting failures of the state administration at different levels during such a horrendous situation, little knowing or even referring to the ground realities and the continual effort put in by the duty holders in controlling the spontaneous evolving situation unfolding aftermath mass violence across the state,” the court added.
The bench further noted that allegations of criminal conspiracy at the highest level cannot be inferred by simply linking the state's failures and said, "A conspiracy can be alleged only if there is clear proof of meeting of minds to commit a crime."
