New Delhi: Social activist Teesta
Setalvad, who is working for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat
riots, has moved the Supreme Court accusing the Special
Investigating Team (SIT) of "discrediting" her.
The affidavit filed by Setalvad, who heads the NGO,
Citizen for Peace and Justice, alleged that the SIT headed by
former CBI Director R K Raghavan has been summoning and
questioning witnesses on the allegation that they were tutored
by her.
"To my shock, I have discovered that the SIT instead
of conducting investigations as per the directions of this
court has chosen to summon certain victim-witnesses to record
their statements to verify if I have indeed tutored them," she
alleged.
Setalvad said she was "suspicious" about the SIT`s
intentions about the line of their current investigation and
strongly believe that SIT was trying to get information
against her as she has filed an application asking for probe
panel`s reconstitution.
"The SIT in its effort to discredit me should not
harass the witnesses who are victims of violence that has led
to loss of their loved ones," the affidavit said.
She said allegations against her of tutoring the
witnesses were made by the NGO`s disgruntled employee whose
services were terminated after the witnesses complained that
he had become close to the accused and and was misbehaving
with them.
Setalvad has not mentioned the name of the disgruntled
employee, who she claimed was terminated two years ago.
She said that an application has been filed by her
seeking revocation of CISF protection given to him on apex
court order.
Former coordinator of Setalvad`s NGO, Rais Khan on
November 1 had alleged before a court in Ahmedabad that
victims and witnesses of 2002 Naroda gam riot case, were
tutored, cheated and made to sign false affidavits by her.
He had claimed that he can throw light on this.
Khan has sought permission to be examined as a witness
to clear allegations levelled against him by some of the
witnesses and victims who had said he (Khan) had manipulated
their affidavits filed in the Supreme Court.
The trial court in Ahmedabad will hear his application
on November 22.
After the riots, Khan had worked as a co-ordinator
with CJP, headed by Setalvad, from February 28, 2002 to
January 18, 2008.
-PTI
