Teesta Setalvad plotted for death sentence to Narendra Modi in 2002 riots: SIT
India Today
The 100-page-long chargesheet against Setalvad, former Director General of Police RB Sreekumar (Retd.) and former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Bhatt was submitted before the Ahmedabad metro court in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence in connection with the riots.
Teesta Setalvad conspired to defame the Gujarat government and worked to ensure then Chief Minister Narendra Modi was sentenced to death in connection with the 2002 post-Godhra riots, a chargesheet filed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) alleged.
The 100-page-long chargesheet against Setalvad, former Director General of Police RB Sreekumar (Retd.) and former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Bhatt was submitted before the Ahmedabad metro court in a case of alleged fabrication of evidence in connection with the riots.
According to the SIT, which was formed on the Supreme Court’s orders, the accused allegedly plotted to get the death penalty for then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the chargesheet claimed. Despite being a part of the government, RB Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt made fake documents for Teesta and then added them to official entries, it said.
The accused wanted to end Narendra Modi’s political career and damage his reputation. For this, an army of lawyers was hired to prepare fake documents and affidavits, the chargesheet claimed.
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Riot victims were manipulated and their signatures were forcibly taken on the fabricated statements. But since it was all in English, the victims could not understand what they signed off on, the SIT said, adding that the riot witnesses were threatened by Setalvad if they refused to support her.
The IPS officers, who are her co-accused in the case, would do her bidding. One time, RB Sreekumar even threatened a witness, the SIT claimed. “If you don’t support Teesta, Muslims will turn against you and you will be a target of the terrorists. If we start fighting among ourselves, the enemies will benefit and so will Modi,” Sreekumar allegedly told a witness, the team said in their chargesheet.
