Teesta Setalvad, R B Sreekumar sent to jail

AHMEDABAD: A metropolitan court on Saturday sent social activist Teesta Setalvad and former DGP R B Sreekumar to judicial custody after their custodial interrogation ended and the newly constituted special investigation team (SIT) did not seek further remand.
While heading to Sabarmati Central Jail, Setalvad raised an issue of her security in prison and her advocate Somnath Vats tendered an application to the court stating that there were many people who were convicted for their roles in the post-Godhra riots because of the efforts of Setalvad's NGO. Some of them are women convicts too and asked the court to issue directions for her security in prison.
To this, public prosecutor Mitesh Amin objected and argued that she is not an extraordinary criminal or prisoner that she would require security in prison. If such request is heeded, any prisoner will come to court seeking security in jail. After hearing this, additional chief metropolitan magistrate M V Chauhan ordered for appropriate arrangements for her security in accordance with the jail manual.
Setalvad and Sreekumar were in police custody on the court's order since June 26 after their arrest effected one day earlier on charges of fabricating evidence of conspiracy for the 2002 riots. Their arrest happened a day after the Supreme Court rejected Zakia Jafri's protest petition against the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others over an alleged larger conspiracy behind the post-Godhra riots.
After their production in the courtroom, when additional chief judicial magistrate M V Chauhan asked both of the accused whether they had any complaint with regard to their custodial interrogation period. To this, Setalvad said she had to give statements on a few occasions but for this she was kept in custody for six days. "There were always five-six cops on the watch as if I am a very dangerous person," she said but also added that no ill-treatment was meted out to her.
Sreekumar requested the court to direct investigators to record his statement, at least under provisions of Section 164 of the CrPC. The magistrate declined the request and said that there is no provision under the law that an accused can insist on recording of his statement.
While leaving the courtroom, Setalvad made a request to the court to direct the jail administration to permit her to take with her books on the framing of the Constitution and to make available other books, if not available in the jail library. "I have a habit of reading," Setalvad told the magistrate. He replied, "It is good that you have a reading habit."
The third accused in this case is ex-IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who is in Palanpur jail in connection with an alleged drug planting case.