The Gujarat High Court has dismissed activist Teesta Setalvad’s plea seeking relief in connection with the Pandarwada mass grave digging case linked to the 2002 riots. The court, during the hearing of the petition, expressed its reluctance to cancel the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Setalvad regarding her alleged involvement in exhuming 28 bodies of post-Godhra riots victims from a mass burial site near Pandarwada village in Gujarat back in 2005.
Justice Sandeep Bhatt, presiding over the case, conveyed his disinclination to provide relief to Setalvad. “After going through the record, I am not inclined, prima facie,” remarked the judge during the hearing on Monday. Setalvad’s lawyer argued against the FIR, alleging it lacked substance and was driven by political victimization.
Responding to the activist’s legal representative, Justice Bhatt remarked on the broad use of the term ‘victimization’ in current scenarios, indicating a broader context of the case. The case initially involved allegations of destroying evidence and hurting religious sentiments following the exhumation, and Rais Khan, associated with Setalvad’s NGO, was among those named.
Teesta Setalvad’s name surfaced in the case after a fallout with Mr. Khan, who alleged to the police that the exhumation had been executed at her direction. Setalvad’s defense highlighted that the exhumations were carried out due to complaints from victims’ relatives about inadequate autopsies.
The court scheduled the next hearing for January 9, continuing the legal process. Setalvad, known for her involvement in cases related to the 2002 riots, had previously secured bail in July 2023 in a separate case where she was accused of fabricating evidence connected to the same riots.
The Gujarat High Court’s decision marks a setback for Setalvad in the ongoing legal proceedings associated with the grave digging case, portraying the complexity and contentious nature of the matter.
Sources By Agencies
