Ex-IAS officers urge SC to clarify riots observation not meant for Teesta

Requesting the Supreme Court to issue a clarification that it’s observations were not meant for Setalvad’s arrest—which happened a day later— and also order her release, the letter has noted signatories as former Union Home Secretary G K Pillai, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, former Health Secretary K Sujatha Rao, retired IPS officer A S Dulat and former IAS officer Aruna Roy.

On July 2, an Ahmedabad court remanded Setalvad to 14-day judicial custody.

“Every day of silence lowers the prestige of the court and raises questions about its determination to uphold a core precept of the Constitution: safeguarding the basic right to life and liberty against questionable actions of the state,” said the letter.

This comes a day after 15 retired judges, 77 former bureaucrats and 25 former officers of the Armed forces issued an open statement against the “unfortunate and unprecedented comments” of Supreme Court Bench of Justices Surya Kant and J.B. Pardiwala, while hearing a plea filed by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

In the case of the Gujarat SIT’s clean chit to Modi, a three-judge bench verdict in the Zakia Ahsan Jafri vs State of Gujarat, on June 24, 2022 has, “to say the least, left citizens totally disturbed and dismayed,” the letter issued on Wednesday said.

The “gratuitous comments” that the bench made about the appellants, their counsel and supporters, has “surprised people”, the letter said.

“In the most astonishing comment, the Supreme Court has lauded the officials of the Special Investigation Team who have defended the State and has excoriated the appellants who have challenged the findings of the SIT,” it said.

The letter as urged the Supreme Court to review their order and withdraw the observations.