Court Denies Bail To Teesta Setalvad And Sreekumar Accused Of Fabricating Evidence Relating To 2002 Riots

A sessions court in Ahmedabad today refused bail to activist Teesta Setalvad and former Director General of Police R B Sreekumar, arrested for allegedly fabricating evidence to frame innocent people in 2002 Gujarat riots cases.

Additional Principal Judge D D Thakkar said that both the bail applications were being rejected.

Setalvad and Sreekumar were arrested by the city crime branch around a month ago on the basis of a First Information Report registered against them under Indian Penal Code sections 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 194 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offence).

The Special Investigation Team formed to probe the case alleged that the duo were part of a larger conspiracy carried out at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to destabilise the Gujarat government led by then chief minister Narendra Modi. Setalvad was paid Rs 30 lakh at Patel's behest soon after the Godhra train burning incident of 2002, the SIT alleged.

Sreekumar was a "disgruntled government officer" who "abused the process for damning the elected representatives, bureaucracy and police administration of the whole state of Gujarat for ulterior purposes", the SIT claimed.

The Gujarat police had opposed Teesta Setalvad's bail application. She was part of a "larger conspiracy" carried out at the behest of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel to dismiss the BJP government in the state after the 2002 riots, claimed an affidavit filed by the police's Special Investigation Team before the sessions court.

Last month, a day after the Supreme Court upheld the clean chit given to then chief minister Narendra Modi and others in Gujarat riots case, state police arrested Setalvad.

With PTI inputs