Setalvad seeks time to answer to queries, Sreekumar claims innocence throughout interrogation: Police

By PTI

AHMEDABAD: Social activist Teesta Setalvad and retired IPS officer RB Sreekumar remained largely tight-lipped throughout their interrogation and refused to disclose something about their alleged position in fabricating proof as claimed in an FIR registered towards them by the Gujarat police with reference to the 2002 riots within the state, mentioned an official on Monday.

While Setalvad has sought time to reply questions posed to her by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Gujarat police that’s dealing with the case, Sreekumar informed investigators he has performed nothing unsuitable, mentioned the senior police official.

“Both are not revealing much during interrogation. Setalvad, when she was grilled yesterday, only said she needs more time to answer the questions. She also kept saying that whatever she wants to say, will say only before the court,” mentioned the official who helps the SIT in its probe.

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“We grilled Sreekumar for four hours today. But, he kept saying that whatever he did was as per the law and he did nothing wrong. Since our case is largely based on documentary evidence, our probe will not be hampered even if the accused do not cooperate,” mentioned the official.

A court docket in Ahmedabad on Sunday remanded Setalvad and former state DGP Sreekumar in police custody until July 2 in a case of allegedly fabricating proof to border harmless individuals in reference to the 2002 Gujarat riots.

To probe the case, the Gujarat police have fashioned an SIT headed by Deputy Inspector General (Anti-Terrorist Squad) Deepan Bhadran.

The official mentioned statements of riot witnesses earlier than the Supreme Court-appointed SIT and affidavits filed by the accused in addition to others earlier than the courts at the moment shall be collected as a part of the probe as a result of these paperwork are the primary foundation for the case.

A day after the Supreme Court upheld the clear chit given by an SIT to Prime Minister Narendra Modi within the 2002 riot instances, the Gujarat police arrested Sreekumar and Mumbai-based Setalvad for allegedly conspiring to falsely implicate harmless individuals.

Another former IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who’s at present in jail in one other case, has additionally been proven as an accused within the FIR.

The FIR was registered by the Ahmedabad metropolis crime department below sections 468, 471 (forgery), 194 (giving or fabricating false proof with intent to acquire conviction of capital offence), 211 (institute felony proceedings to trigger harm), 218 (public servant framing incorrect document or writing with intent to avoid wasting particular person from punishment or property from forfeiture) and 120 (B) (felony conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code on a grievance filed by a police inspector.

They instituted “false and malicious criminal proceedings against innocent people with intention to cause injury to several persons, and prepared false records and dishonestly used those records as genuine with the intention to cause damage and injury to many persons,” as per the grievance.

The grievance drew on numerous submissions made earlier than the Special Investigation Team (SIT) fashioned by the Supreme Court to analyze the 2002 Gujarat riots instances and submissions made by the accused earlier than the Justice Nanavati-Shah Commission of Inquiry.

As per the FIR, Setalvad “had conjured, concocted, forged, fabricated facts and documents and/or evidence including fabrication of documents by persons who were protective witnesses of the complainant (Zakia Jafri)”.

Setalvad and her NGO have been co-petitioner with Zakia Jafri (spouse of Congress chief Ehsan Jafri who was killed within the riots) within the plea filed towards then-chief minister Narendra Modi and others within the Supreme Court.

The SC dismissed the petition on Friday and upheld the clear chit given to Modi and others.