Over 2,200 people from across India and even abroad have expressed support for human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and former Gujarat DGP RB Sreekumar and condemned their arrest as well as five-day remand by the Gujarat Police.
They have demanded their immediate release with a clarion call to the Supreme Court to review its decision in the Zakia Jafri case, where the court has also named Setalvad and RB Sreekumar as those who fabricated evidence and pursued the case in the courts for 16 years.
The representatives from various civil society members and individuals found it unfortunate that those who were seeking justice have found themselves in the dock, without getting an opportunity to be head.
The signatories to the press statement include PUCL General Secretary, V. Suresh, NAPM convenor Medha Patkar, columnist Apoorvanand, theatre and film actor Shabana Azmi, writer Aakar Patel, Kumar Ketkar, MP, former Navy Chief Admiral Ramdas, writer and former Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed, former Lucknow University Vice-Chancellor Rooprekha Verma, MKSS founder Aruna Roy, Carnatic musician TM Krishna, poet Gauhar Raza, Shabnam Hashmi from Anhad, Feroze Mithiborwala, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Pratibha Shinde, Lok Sangharsh Morcha, V S Krishna, HRF, activist and socialist party leader Sandeep Pandey, writer Gita Hariharan, HRD Henri Tiphagne from Human Rights Watch, writer Shamsul Islam, HRD Babloo Loitongbom human rights alert, former diplomat Madhu Bhaduri, actress Mallika Sarabhai and 2250 others.
The signatories said the apex court’s order dismissing the plea by Zakia Jafri for an investigation into the conspiracy that resulted in communal violence deepens the sense of injustice and that it must be reviewed.
According to them, the apex court overlooked the notion that there was a conspiracy to commit murder, rape and destruction of property. They believe that the order endangers all those who sought to ensure justice for the communal hate crimes following the Godhra incident.
The signatories claim that on June 24, the Gujarat ATs swung into action and barged into Setalvad’s premises. The statement also claimed that the cops assaulted her and took her into custody on June 25.
They also pointed to Teesta’s complaint that she feared for her life was ignored by the Gujarat Police.
The FIR accuses the Gujarat retired police officials ADGP R.B Sreekumar, DIG Sanjiv Bhatt and activist Teesta Setalvad of conspiring to fabricate evidence, tutor witnesses and abuse the process of law.
However, the statement articulates that the FIR casts its net very wide and makes the case that the period of the offence ranged from January 1, 2002, to June 25, 2022.
Various organisations and human rights activists from several cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Patna, Ranchi, Ajmer, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Kolkata, Lucknow, Allahabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dhulia, Raipur and more, have condemned Setalvad’s arrest.
Read More: Teesta Setalvad Remanded To Police Custody Until July 1; Gujarat Govt Forms SIT
