Ahmedabad

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case of fabrication of evidence in the 2002 riots case against activist Teesta Setalvad and two former IPS officers - former Gujarat DGP R Sreekumar and Sanjiv Bhatt - filed an affidavit in a city court on Friday claiming that the accused were part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize the then state government under the Chief Ministership of Narendra Modi.

The affidavit states that the three hatched a conspiracy at the behest of late Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Ahmed Patel to malign Gujarat’s image. Incidentally, Ahmed Patel also served as advisor to Sonia Gandhi.

Citing two witnesses in the case, the SIT said the conspiracy involved money changing hands.

The SIT has claimed Teesta Setalvad received Rs 30 lakhs for the purpose on the pretext of providing relief to the riot victims.

To further substantiate its claim the SIT in its affidavit has mentioned her statement of 2006 when after the exhumation of the bodies of riot victims in Panderwada she had demanded the dismissal of the state government.

The affidavit also mentions how Setalvad misappropriated funds to the tune of Rs 63 lakhs which was deposited in her NGO, Citizen’s for Justice and Peace (CJP) account.

ALSO READ: Alemoon Nessa is reigning spice Queen of northeast

Firoz Khan Pathan a resident of Gulbarga Society had lodged an FIR to this effect. Investigations are underway on the case.

Setalvad and Sreekumar were on July sent to 14-days in Judicial custody by a court in Ahmedabad.

Last month the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former MP Ehsan Jafri challenging the SIT clean chit given to Narendra Modi in the 2002 riots case.