Teesta Setalvad arrested by Gujarat ATS in Mumbai

Teesta was detained in a case related to her NGO. She was taken to Santacruz police station in Mumbai.

TN National Desk

Updated Jun 25, 2022, 18:50 IST

Teesta Setalvad arrested by Gujarat ATS

Mumbai: The Gujarat ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad) on Saturday arrested activist Teesta Setalvad from her residence in Mumbai. She was arrested in a case related to her NGO. Setalvad was taken to Santacruz police station in Mumbai. This comes just a day after the Supreme Court upheld clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riots case. The Gujarat ATS today reached Setalvad's residence in a case related to receiving foreign funds.

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has filed an FIR against Teesta, former IPS RB Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhat. They have been booked under sections 468, 471, 194, 211, 281, 120 (B) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

On Friday, the apex court made some adverse comments on Setalvad who - through her NGO - has long been pursuing riots cases in courts alleging role of the state government and then senior politicians at the helm. While delivering the verdict, the court said that all those involved in such abuse of process need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with law.

The court mentioned Teesta's name and said: "Antecedents of Teesta Setalvad need to be reckoned with and also because she has been vindictively persecuting this lis [dispute] for her ulterior design by exploiting the emotions and sentiments of Zakia Jafri, the real victim of the circumstances."

The SC was delivering judgement on a petition filed by Zakia Jafri, the wife of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was among 68 killed in the riots. Zakia Jafri had filed the petition challenging the clean chit given to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi by an SIT. Setalvad was the co-petitioner in the case.

After the SC verdict, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Teesta Setalvad's NGO gave baseless information about the Gujarat riots. "I have read the judgement. The judgement clearly mentions the name of Teesta Setalvad. The NGO that was run being run by her - I don't remember the name of the NGO- had given baseless information about the riots to the police," Shah said in an exclusive interview to ANI.

The CPI (M) condemned the arrest of Setalvad. In a tweet, it said: "CPI(M) strongly condemns arrest of Teesta Setalvad, indefatigable defender of human rights by Gujarat police on dubious grounds citing the recent judgement of the Supreme Court. CPI(M) demand her release and withdrawal of false charges."

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