Hours before the detention, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accused Teesta Setalvad of giving out baseless information about the 2002 Gujarat riots to the police.
Mumbai: The Gujarat Police’s Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Saturday detained activist Teesta Setalvad inn Mumbai in the afternoon and reportedly took her to the Santacruz police station. While the reason is yet to be known, Setalvad’s lawyer said the police have applied sections of forgery.
Setalvad’s lawyer Vijay Hiremath said, “We were not informed. They barged into (her house), assaulted her and took her away.” He added that the police have applied charges under Sections 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the IPC.
The development came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in an interview, accused Setalvad of giving out baseless information about the 2002 Gujarat riots to the police.
Hailing the Supreme Court order that rejected a plea against the clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others by a Special Investigation Team in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots, Amit Shah earlier in the day had said, “Modi ji endured false charges in silence for 19 years, nobody did a dharna.” Shah had seemingly hinted at the widespread protest against the Enforcement Directorate questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a case of money laundering connected to the National Herald newspaper.
“Modi ji didn’t do drama while appearing before the SIT. If the SIT wants to question the Chief Minister, he himself is ready to cooperate, why protest?” Shah added. He also said, “Modi ji set an example, showing how the Constitution can be honoured. He was questioned but nobody staged a dharna and the workers didn’t come to stand in solidarity with him. If those who levelled allegations have a conscience, they should apologise.”
