[Reader-list] Teesta Setalvad cooked up macabre tales on Gujarat Riots : SIT

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

NGOs, Teesta spiced up Gujarat riot incidents: SITThe Times of India
14 Apr 2009, 1213 hrs IST, Dhananjay Mahapatra, TNN


NEW DELHI: The Special Investigation Team responsible for the arrests of
those accused in Gujarat
riots<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/NGOs-spiced-up-Gujarat-riot-cases/articleshow/4396986.cms#>has
severely censured NGOs and social
activist Teesta Setalvad who campaigned for the riot victims.

In a significant development, the SIT led by former CBI director R K
Raghavan told the Supreme
Court<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/NGOs-spiced-up-Gujarat-riot-cases/articleshow/4396986.cms#>on
Monday that the celebrated rights activist cooked up macabre tales of
wanton killings.

Many incidents of killings and violence were cooked up, false charges were
levelled against then police chief P C Pandey and false witnesses were
tutored to give evidence about imaginary incidents, the SIT said in a report
submitted before a Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat, P Sathasivam
and Aftab Alam.

The SIT said it had been alleged in the Gulbarg Society case that Pandey,
instead of taking measures to protect people facing the wrath of rioteers,
was helping the mob. The truth was that he was helping with hospitalisation
of riot victims and making arrangements for police bandobast, Gujarat
counsel, senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, said quoting from the SIT report.

Rohtagi also said that 22 witnesses, who had submitted identical
affidavits<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/NGOs-spiced-up-Gujarat-riot-cases/articleshow/4396986.cms#>before
various courts relating to riot incidents, were questioned by the SIT
which found that they had been tutored and handed over the affidavits by
Setalvad and that they had not actually witnessed the riot incidents.

The SIT also found no truth in the following incidents widely publicised by
the NGOs:

* A pregnant Muslim woman Kausar Banu was gangraped by a mob, who then
gouged out the foetus with sharp weapons

* Dumping of dead bodies into a well by rioteers at Naroda Patiya

* Police botching up investigation into the killing of British nationals,
who were on a visit to Gujarat and unfortunately got caught in the riots

Rohtagi said: "On a reading of the report, it is clear that horrendous
allegations made by the NGOs were false. Stereotyped affidavits were
supplied by a social activist and the allegations made in them were found
untrue."

Obviously happy with the fresh findings of the SIT which was responsible for
the recent arrests of former Gujarat minister Maya Kodanani and VHP leader
Jaideep Patel, Rohtagi tried to spruce up the image of the Modi
administration, which was castigated in the Best Bakery case by the apex
court as "modern day Neros". He was swiftly told by the Bench that but for
the SIT, many more accused, who are freshly added, would not have been
brought to book<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/NGOs-spiced-up-Gujarat-riot-cases/articleshow/4396986.cms#>.


The Bench said there was no room for allegations and counter-allegations at
this late stage. "In riot cases, the more the delay, there is likelihood of
falsity creeping in. So, there should be a designated court to fast track
the trials. Riot cases should be given priority because feelings run high
having a cascading effect," it said and asked for suggestions from the
Gujarat government, Centre, NGOs and amicus curiae Harish Salve, who said
the time had come for the apex court to lift the stay on trials into several
post-Godhra riot cases.

While additional
solicitor<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/NGOs-spiced-up-Gujarat-riot-cases/articleshow/4396986.cms#>general
Gopal Subramaniam agreed with the court that public prosecutors
should be selected in consultation with Raghavan, counsel Indira Jaising
said there should be a complete regime for protection of witnesses as the
same government, which was accused of engineering the riots, was in power
now.

Salve said that he would consult Raghavan and let the court know about a
witness protection system for post-Godhra riot cases. The court asked the
parties to submit their suggestions within a week.

dhananjay.mahapatra at timesgroup.com