India: Teesta Setalvad Arrested After Top Court Dismisses Petition Seeking Accountability For 2002 Gujarat Riots

Location: India, Ahmedabad       
Date: July 4, 2022

Prominent human rights defender and journalist Teesta Setalvad has been arrested while seeking accountability from government higher ups for the 2002 mob violence in Gujarat, which left thousands dead. A day prior to her arrest on June 25, 2022, the Supreme Court upheld the findings of a special investigation team (SIT) that absolved then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the violence. On July 2, a court in Ahmedabad sent Teesta on 14 days of judicial remand as authorities investigate her on allegations of criminal conspiracy and forgery.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns the arrest and stands in solidarity with Teesta. It is apparent that the journalist and activist is being targeted for speaking truth to power.

Teesta was arrested along with two former police officers who had spoken up earlier about the complicity of those then in government in Gujarat. She has submitted an application seeking protection in jail through her lawyer SM Vaasta. After their five-day physical remand - in police custody - expired on July 2, the court handed over Teesta and her co-defendants to judicial custody. The journalist is expected to remain in custody till bail is granted as the police did not seek further remand. No bail application has been submitted as yet, according to independent Indian news portal The Wire.  

Teesta is the secretary of her NGO Citizens for Peace and Justice, which was founded in April 2002 to demand accountability for and bring justice to the victims of the Gujarat riots. A day before her arrest, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Zakia Jafri, the widow of a former member of parliament Ehsan Jafri, who was killed in the mob violence along with thousands of other muslims. The petition, filed with the support of Citizens for Peace and Justice, challenged the SIT report and sought accountability from those in power in Gujarat then, including now second-time Prime Minister Modi. 

The journalist has alleged that her arrest is illegal and an abuse of power. She told local media that she was not allowed to speak to her lawyer at the time of the arrest.

"The ATS barged into my house without any warrant, snatched my phone and pushed me. Look at this wound they inflicted on me. They brought me to Ahmedabad Crime Branch at 6 am," online news portal Mint quoted Teesta as saying. "They came in at three and it was only after my lawyer came that they showed me an FIR. Is arresting on the basis of an FIR legal? Why wasn't I served a notice? I was detained illegally from 3pm to 10.30 am.” The journalist questioned why anti-terrorism officials had driven her from Mumbai to Gujarat after her arrest. She insisted that her arrest was illegal and an abuse of power. 

"I fear for my life. I have been roughed up, and abused...why should ATS be sent for what is a forgery case? Is this the new norm? I should be given bail. I am a human rights activist. This is a political case. I am cooperating and will cooperate with all legal investigations and queries," said Teesta.

Support poured in for Teesta with many tweeting against her arrest and lauding the  tremendous work she has done in pursuit of accountability for the 1,044 killed, 223 missing and 2,500 injured in the violent communal riots in Gujarat. Of those killed, 790 were Muslims and 254 were Hindu.

Don't forget that the judiciary has sent Teesta Setalvad and RB Sreekumar to 14-day judicial custody. Their fault was they had been fighting for the last 20 years to give justice to the victims of anti-Mulsim riots in Gujarat when Modi was Chief Minister.

— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) July 2, 2022

Teesta Setalvad did tremendous amt of relentless work, esp in the aftermath of 2002 Gujarat - legal aid, relief, anti-communal edu & campaigning, more so than nearly anyone - having devoted her life to anti-communalism

We must stand with her the way she always stood for justice.

— Saib Bilaval (@SaibBilaval) June 25, 2022

Teesta has been under investigation for tampering of funds and illegal preparation of witnesses since 2002. This arrest came in connection with a fresh case of forgery, criminal conspiracy and insulting criminal proceedings to cause injury after the top court upheld the clean chit handed to Modi by the SIT. Zakia’s petition was dismissed along with several other eyewitness accounts and reports of government complicity in the violence. Police and government officials were also accused of aiding the mob by providing lists of Muslim owned properties.

After the creation of her NGO Citizens for Peace and Justice  in 2002 and as her work has gained recognition, Teesta Setalvad has been accused of conspiring to fabricate facts and documents, tutor witnesses and abuse the process of law by fabricating false evidence to frame people. The hostility against her has evidently intensified after the Supreme Court’s verdict. The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently condemns Teesta’s arrest and calls for her immediate release. We stand in solidarity with the journalist who has fought bravely in the pursuit of the truth and accountability for one of the most violent episodes of communal violence in India.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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