Teesta Setalvad, 60, was already a well-known activist with human rights through the Mumbai-based NGO Sabrang Trust when the Gujarat riots took place. When she saw the riots in Gujarat, she came to Gujarat, spoke to the victims and decided to pursue their cases. Teesta Setalvad fights against Gujarat riots 2022 and registered a FIR against the prime minister Modi.
Teesta Setalvad FIR against Modi
Setalvad first included herself in March 2007, in a special criminal application before the Gujarat HC. She included herself as a co-petitioner of Zakia Jafri, who had sought an FIR against Modi. More than 61 other politicians, bureaucrats and police officers names were included in the FIR for their alleged role in the 2002 riots. Furthermore, Teesta sought a CBI inquiry against Modi.
However, the petition and Setalvad’s stand in the case were rejected, but she moved the apex court. Subsequently , the court asked the SIT to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations.
Teesta fought many cases
Setalvad took up several cases related to Gujarat riot . She also fought for the Gulberg Society victims, Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam victims, Sardarpura, Dipda Darwaja victims, Ode victims and even the Best Bakery case in Vadodara.
Then the aftermath of Setalvad started as she faced several allegations over the years.
Charges against Setalvad
In 2006, she was slapped of charges of allegedly hurting religious feelings, fabricating false evidence, trespassing on burial places among other charges. The charges were on Raees and 10 others too. The Panchmahals police alleged that Setalvad and her associates took up unauthorised digging at the spot where the bodies of 28 Muslims from Pandervada village. The bodies were of the people who were killed during the 2002 riots, and the administration had buried them. However, a petition by Setalvad for quashing of this FIR also remains pending before the Gujarat HC.
Then Raees Khan, a member from the NGO went against her and alleged that she tutored witnesses.
Bank accounts frozen
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, filed an FIR in 2014 against Teesta and her associates. Surprisingly, some victims of the Gulberg Society accused Setalvad, Anand and Jafri’s son Tanveer of criminal breach of trust, cheating, criminal conspiracy. They alleged that Setalvad used the foreign donations received for establishment of a museum at Gulberg Society for personal use. Immediately, the accounts of the NGO in IDBI and Union Bank were frozen.
Later in 2018, Raees accused them of misappropriation of grants released for Sabrang NGO in 2014. The FIR was lodged at the Ahmedabad DCB police station against Setalvad and her husband Javed Anand. However, Setalvad and Anand moved a petition to quash the same remains pending before the Gujarat HC.
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