Teesta was tool of a politician to defame Gujarat, govt tells HC

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government opposed on Wednesday the bail application filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad, who is facing charges of trying to frame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others by propagating a larger conspiracy behind the 2002 riots, and termed her a tool of a politician who had taken up the task to defame Gujarat.
Objecting to the bail plea, public prosecutor Mitesh Amin submitted, "The petitioner, with her two tools - two police officers, R B Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt - together hatched the conspiracy to propagate the larger conspiracy aspect. She was also a tool in the hands of a politician of a political party."
Attempting to substantiate his claims, the prosecutor cited testimony from witnesses, including Setalvad's aide Rais Khan. He described how Setalvad allegedly met Congress leader Ahmed Patel at the circuit house in Ahmedabad, where the politician allegedly told her to ensure that people get punished and "so and so person" goes behind bars. "'There are so many IPS officers who work for us. You have met Sanjiv Bhatt, and you will soon meet others as well,'" the prosecutor read out from Khan's statement.
In support of the assertion that Setalvad had received Rs 30 lakh from the Congress leader, the prosecutor quoted statements by Khan and Narendra Brahmbhatt. He also alleged that Setalvad's efforts were to tarnish Modi's image "to unseat the establishment".