SC questions Gujarat govt's case against Teesta Setalvad

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the Gujarat government for initiating a probe against social activist Teesta Setalvad for her alleged role in a case of illegal exhumation of the bodies of the 2002 riot victims, saying it is a 'spurious' case to victimise her.

"This is a hundred per cent spurious case to victimise the petitioner (Setalvad)," said a bench of justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai.

While criticising the state government for beginning the probe against Setalvad, it added, "this type of case does no credit to the state of Gujarat in any way." "This case is hundred per cent spurious. In other cases against petitioner, there may be something," the bench said.
Besides this case, the Gujarat government has also lodged criminal proceedings against her in other riot-related cases.

The bench was of the view that it was not correct on the part of the Gujarat government to go ahead with the case.
It asked senior advocate Pradeep Ghosh, who appeared for the Gujarat government, to go through the First Information Report (FIR) of the case and advise the government not to proceed with it.

"You advise your client not to proceed with this type of case. You should show some responsibility and tell the government not to proceed with the case," the bench said.
While posting the matter for March 23, the bench asked the senior counsel to go through the FIR 'passionately' and tell the court as to what does he feel about it.

The bench also asked Gujarat government's standing counsel Hemantika Wahi to go through the FIR.

The bench was hearing a petition by Setalvad against the May 27 order of the Gujarat High Court, which had refused to quash the FIR registered against her at a police station in Panchmahal district of the state on exhumation of the bodies from a graveyard near river Panam.