[ad_1]
Indian police have arrested an activist who campaigned for many years to carry Narendra Modi accountable for his alleged position within the lethal anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002, a transfer that has sparked recent fears of a crackdown towards dissenters.
Teesta Setalvad was arrested on Saturday by the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) of the Gujarat Police primarily based on a grievance alleging that she “exploited” the feelings of riot sufferer Zakia Jafri, the spouse of former member of parliament Ehsan Jafri, who was killed by a rampaging mob on the morning of 28 February 2002.
Ms Setalvad, 60, now faces a number of prices, together with giving or fabricating false proof, false cost of offence made to injure and forgery for the aim of dishonest. Additionally accused with Ms Setalvad are two law enforcement officials from Gujarat, Sanjeev Bhatt – already in jail for an additional matter – and RB Sreekumar, who has additionally been detained.
The three are accused of conspiring to mislead the Particular Investigation Group (SIT) tasked with probing the Gujarat riots and the position of Mr Modi’s state authorities at the moment.
The arrest got here only a day after India’s high court docket dismissed a petition filed by Ms Jafri difficult the acquittal of Mr Modi and dozens of different politicians within the riots case. The highest court docket singled out Ms Setalvad in its order, stating that she was “vindictively persecuting” the dispute.
“Antecedents of Teesta Setalvad have to be reckoned with and in addition as a result of she has been vindictively persecuting this [dispute] for her ulterior design by exploiting the feelings and sentiments of Zakia Jafri, the actual sufferer of the circumstances,” the court docket order stated.
Instantly after the court docket order was issued, a backlash towards Ms Setalvad started from the prime minister’s interior circle and supporters.
Amit Shah, the present dwelling minister of India and an in depth aide of Mr Modi since his time as Gujarat’s chief minister, hit out at Ms Setalvad alleging that she gave false info to the police within the riot case to be able to body Mr Modi.
Ms Setalvad runs an organisation known as Residents for Justice and Peace (CJP) arrange within the aftermath of the lethal riots in 2002 when official tallies say a thousand folks, nearly all of them Muslims, died. Some unofficial tallies depend the deaths as greater than 2,000.
Widow Zakia Jafri (L) comforts grieving mom Rupa Modi exterior a court docket in Ahmedabad on 26 December, 2013, following a judgement over the riots in favour of then-Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi
(Getty Photographs)
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
