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Journalism of Courage
Opposing the bail application of activist Teesta Setalvad, the state on Wednesday submitted before the Gujarat High Court that her potential to tamper with evidence is the “most important feature” weighing against her. The state also insisted the charges she is facing are in relation to the fabrication of false evidence, adding that she was paid Rs 30 lakh by Ahmed Patel of the Congress to unseat the Narendra Modi government following the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The state’s prosecution, represented by Public Prosecutor Mitesh Amin, also submitted before the court of Justice Nirzar Desai that Setalvad was a “tool in the hands of certain politicians of certain political party”, referring to Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who died in 2020.
In turn, he stressed, Setalvad made two police officers, namely her co-accused former IPS Sanjiv Bhatt and retired DGP RB Sreekumar, “tools”, with the motive “to see (to it)
that the existing establishment (in 2002, when Gujarat CM was Narendra Modi) is unseated, face problems and their image in the society is tarnished.” Submitting that Ahmed Patel paid Rs 30 lakh to Setalvad to ensure the implication and unseating of the then-establishment in the 2002 Gujarat riots, Amin added that after money started flowing in, a stage came when FIRs were registered against certain persons but it was immaterial to Setalvad as to whether they were tried or punished.
“…what was the motive for them was to see that the establishment of that time gets unseated. Pursuant to this, they were in search of a complainant who could be the complainant to propagate this. So ultimately, the first choice fell upon the father of the deceased Haren Pandya, namely Vithalbhai Pandya, who was aggrieved for reasons best known to him, against the highest functionary of the state (then CM Modi).” submitted the prosecution. Prosecution will continue its arguments on Thursday.
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