SC questions Gujarat Govt's case against Setalvad

 New Delhi, February 21, 2012 SC questions Gujarat Govt's case against
Setalvad PTI

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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 percent 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 Ms.
Setalvad, it added, "this type of case does no credit to the state of
Gujarat in any way."

"This case is hundred percent 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 what he felt 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 Ms. 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.