Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Ahmedabad Session Court has ordered Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar, and Sanjeev Bhatt, all accused in the 2002 Gujarat riot case to appear before the court on March 20. According to official sources, charges will be framed against the accused trio in this case on March 20. All three have been ordered to appear before the court compulsorily.
Sources said that the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested Director General of Police RB Sreekumar, social activist Teesta Setalvad and former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, were booked by the Ahmedabad police on charges of forgery and fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction for capital offence in the Gujarat 2002 riots case.
After the arrest, Teesta and Sreekumar applied for bail in the Gujarat sessions court and their applications were later rejected. Teesta and Sreekumar then filed an application before the Gujarat High Court seeking bail. Teesta's application was rejected by the High Court, while Sreekumar was granted conditional bail.
Also read: Teesta Setalvad walks out of Sabarmati Jail after 70 days
Sanjeev Bhatt, the third accused, is in jail where he is serving a life sentence in Jamnagar custodial death case. After the High Court rejected Teesta's bail plea, she applied for bail in the Supreme Court. The Apex Court granted her interim bail directing her to cooperate with the investigating agency in the investigation of the case.
Sources said that in the communal riots that broke out in Gujarat after the Godhra incident on February 27, 2002, an attempt was made to wrongly implicate the then Chief Minister of the State Narendra Modi and many other senior officials by preparing fake documents.
Also read: MP Assembly censures BBC for documentary on 2002 Gujarat riots
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) from the Central Crime Branch of Ahmedabad police claimed that the investigations revealed that Teesta, Sreekumar, and Sanjeev have played a major role in the Gujarat riots.
