#who is teesta setalvad

[beardedmrbean]

Police in the Indian capital, Delhi, have raided the homes of prominent journalists and authors in connection with an investigation into the funding of news website NewsClick.

NewsClick's founder Prabir Purkayastha and a colleague were arrested. Police also seized laptops and mobile phones.

Officials are reportedly investigating allegations that NewsClick got illegal funds from China - a charge it denies.

Critics say the move is an intentional attack on press freedom.

Started in 2009, NewsClick is an independent news and current affairs website known to be critical of the government. In 2021, it was raided by tax authorities on allegations of breaking India's foreign direct investment rules.

The co-ordinated raids at 30 locations on Tuesday are some of the largest and most extensive on India's media in recent years. Police later confirmed they had arrested Mr Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty, the website's head of human resources.

"A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at premises, nine female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay and digital devices, documents etc have been seized/collected for examination," a police statement said.

Opposition leaders accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of a "fresh attack on the media". But Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said investigative agencies were merely doing their job.

How did the raids happen?

Among those also questioned were journalists Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Urmilesh, Bhasha Singh, popular satirist Sanjay Rajoura and historian Sohail Hashmi. Some were taken to police stations.

Searches were also carried out at the website's office in Delhi, news agency ANI reported.

In Mumbai, activist Teesta Setalvad's house was also searched. Ms Setalvad has long fought for victims of the deadly 2002 riots in Gujarat state and has written articles critical of the government for NewsClick.

A source close to Mr Purkayastha told the BBC that more than 15 policemen arrived at the editor's home at 06:30 local time (01:00 GMT).

"They did not produce any warrants or paperwork, questioned him for several hours and took away all the electronic devices they found at home," they said. Later, news agencies showed him being taken away by the police in a vehicle.

Mr Rajoura's lawyer, Ilin Saraswat, said the comedian was raided at the same time and that police took away his laptop, his two phones, some DVDs of his old work and some documents.

"The police said that Mr Rajoura is not named in the current investigation, but since he has worked with the website, he will be interrogated. We have not been provided a copy of the police complaint," he added.

BBC India offices searched by income tax officials

Indian tax authorities raid critical media outlets

India top court frees Muslim comic on bail

According to reports, the raids are in connection with a case registered against NewsClick in August after a New York Times report alleged that the website had received funds from an American millionaire to spread "Chinese propaganda".

It claimed that Neville Roy Singham worked closely with the "Chinese government media machine" and used his network of non-profit groups and shell companies to "finance its propaganda worldwide".

A case was reportedly registered against the website under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, a draconian anti-terror law that makes it nearly impossible to get bail. NewsClick has rejected all the charges as false.

Who was raided?

All the people who were raided have been associated with NewsClick - some are employees, while others have worked on freelance projects.

Prabir Purkayastha, its founder and editor-in-chief, is the author of a number of books and a founding member of the Delhi Science Forum. During the 1975 Emergency - when civil liberties were suspended - he was jailed along with several opposition politicians.

Bhasha Singh is an activist and journalist who has reported extensively on manual scavenging and farmers' suicides. She has accused the government of being anti-women and on Monday appeared in a NewsClick video expressing concern over the increasing trend of members of the governing BJP praising the man who assassinated India's independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

Abhisar Sharma is a prominent video journalist known for his critical views of the government. He worked for BBC Hindi before moving to work at the NDTV news channel. One of his last videos covered widespread protests by government employees against a new pension scheme.

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, writer, journalist and filmmaker, is best known for his investigations into billionaire tycoon Gautam Adani and is facing several defamation suits filed by the industrialist. Earlier this year, he was mentioned in a report by Hindenburg Research which alleged that companies owned by Mr Adani had engaged in decades of "brazen" stock manipulation and accounting fraud - allegations denied by the industrialist who is perceived as being close to PM Modi.

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Teesta Setalvad

Human rights activist Teesta Setalvad was born in 1962 in Mumbai, India. In 2002, Setalvad founded Citizens for Justice and Peace to provide legal assistance to the victims of the Gujarat riots. This organization has secured over 100 convictions related to the riots. Setalvad, who seeks the prosecution of government officials for complicity in the violent riots, has faced reprisal for her activism. Her home and office have been raided and her bank accounts have been frozen. In 2022, she was arrested and detained in retaliation for her work.

[storizenmagazine]

#BookReview: "The Peacemakers," compiled by Ghazala Wahab and published by Aleph Book Company, is a compelling and moving collection of stories about those who have shown great bravery and devotion to peace in the face of bloodshed and war. This book, compiled by diverse authors, gives optimism in a country riven by communal violence and upheaval.

The book contains multiple narratives, each focusing on a different period or place in India's history. Rajmohan Gandhi focuses on Mahatma Gandhi's post-independence attempts to reduce violence in Bihar and Bengal. Nandita Haksar, a human rights lawyer, investigates the difficulties of establishing peace in Nagaland, a conflict-torn region. Rahul Bedi looks at the 1984 Delhi Sikh massacre, revealing testimonies of the criminals and the brave individuals who rescued lives.

The book digs into the aftermath of major events as well. Uttam Sengupta investigates how Bihar stayed relatively quiet following the destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992, while Jyoti Punwani interviews heroic members of civil society who risked their lives during the ensuing communal craziness. Teesta Setalvad, a journalist-activist, shares personal stories of the 2002 Gujarat inferno and peacekeeping operations.

The stories continue to shed light on different areas of strife and resilience. Sunil Kumar delves into Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh and highlights individuals working for peace and justice in this volatile region. Teresa Rehman's inspiring story follows the work of a non-governmental organization that empowers women in Assam's once-conflict-ridden areas. Ghazala Wahab reflects on the optimistic years of 2005-2008 in Kashmir, documenting the sacrifices and efforts made by individuals seeking a peaceful future.

Ghazala Wahab, one of my favourite authors, analysts, journalists, and the editor of this book, wrote one of the most significant articles, Jammu and Kashmir, 2004-19: No Peace without Justice. Not just because Ghazala edited the book but also because her exhausting reporting on Jammu and Kashmir topics over many days has always piqued my interest.

"The Peacemakers" provides a ray of hope amid despair by highlighting the strenuous efforts of peacemakers across India. These tales highlight the extraordinary bravery, compassion, and perseverance of activists, journalists, legislators, leaders, and everyday residents. By sharing their stories, the writers encourage hope and motivate readers to rise beyond prejudice and violence.

Read here - https://tinyurl.com/2s3m9yts

[9327005315]

Who Is Teesta Setalvad? How Documents Were Forged, Witnesses Manufacture...

[wishopenastar]

I've been thinking a lot about how Teesta Setalvad told me to get angry when I'm scared of despair overtaking me.

Anger has historically not helped me, and so she confused me. But then she talked about how we need communities and support networks here. And they don't run on anger. Anger is just what pulls us out of the sinking and the hopelessness.

People are those who sustain action.

[rudrjobdesk]

Teesta Setalvad Case: 2 जुलाई तक पुलिस रिमांड पर रहेंगी तिस्ता सीतलवाड़

Teesta Setalvad Case: 2 जुलाई तक पुलिस रिमांड पर रहेंगी तिस्ता सीतलवाड़

Teesta seetalvad Highlights 2 जुलाई तक पुलिस रिमांड पर रहेंगे तिस्ता सीतलवाड़ और पूर्व IPS आर.बी. श्रीकुमार गुजरात पुलिस ने कोर्ट से 14 दिनों का रिमांड मांगा था लेकिन 2 जुलाई तक मिली 2002 गुजरात दंगों पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट के फैसले के बाद गुजरात क्राइम ब्रांच ने तिस्ता सितलवाड़ को गिरफ्तार किया Teesta Setalvad Case: समाजिक कार्यकर्ता तिस्ता सीतलवाड़ और पूर्व IPS आर.बी. श्रीकुमार रविवार को कोर्ट के…

[theburialofstrawberries]

"Less than a day after the Supreme Court dismissed a petition appealing a lower court’s refusal to file a case against Narendra Modi for his role in Gujarat’s anti-Muslim violence of 2002, the state’s police have arrested one of the petitioners – activist Teesta Setalvad – for what they claimed was a conspiracy to send innocent persons to jail.

Setalvad was picked by the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) of the Gujarat Police from her house in Mumbai, taken to a local police station and then driven to Ahmedabad, her family told The Wire. It is unclear why the ATS detained the activist, though the case was registered by the crime branch of the Ahmedabad police. (...)

The court itself, in 2004, had referred to Modi as “a modern day Nero” who was “looking elsewhere when … innocent children and women were burning, and … probably deliberating how the perpetrators of the crime can be protected.” But in 2012, the SIT concluded no case was made out against Modi and its findings were accepted by the trial court and upheld by the Gujarat high court in 2017. "

https://m.thewire.in/article/government/gujarat-police-arrest-teesta-setalvad-activist-who-pursued-2002-riots-case-against-modi

[reportwire]

Teesta Setalvad: India activist gets bail in 2002 Gujarat riots case

Teesta Setalvad: India activist gets bail in 2002 Gujarat riots case

2022-09-02 05:23:03 While dismissing her plea on 24 June, the Supreme Court said that the people who accused Mr Modi of not doing enough had “exploited the emotions of Zakia Jafri” and “kept pursuing the case intriguingly for the last 16 years… to keep the pot boiling, obviously, for ulterior design”. http://www.bbc.co.uk Source link

[kimskashmir]

Supreme Court grants interim bail to Teesta Setalvad in 2002 Gujarat riots case

The top court asked the high court to decide her bail plea, but in the meantime Setalvad will be out on interim bail. She had moved the apex court after the Gujarat High Court made a long adjournment on her bail plea while not passing any order of interim bail.

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to activist Teesta Setalvad, who was arrested for allegedly fabricating documents to frame high-ranking officials, including then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 riots cases in the state. A bench headed by Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia said that since the essential…

[squarwell-breakingnews]

SC issues notice to Gujarat govt on Teesta bail plea | India News - Times of India

SC issues notice to Gujarat govt on Teesta bail plea | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the Gujarat government on the bail plea of social activist Teesta Setalvad who was arrested in a forgery and criminal conspiracy case lodged against her pertaining to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The case was registered against her and some former IPS officers after the apex court had in June questioned the role of disgruntled officers of…

[harpianews]

Supreme Court to hear Teesta Setalvad's bail plea on August 22

Supreme Court to hear Teesta Setalvad’s bail plea on August 22

Mumbai-based activist Teesta Setalvad, arrested for conspiracy and fabrication of evidence related to the 2002 Gujarat riots, has approached the Supreme Court seeking bail in the case. Advocate Aparna Bhat mentioned Setalvad’s plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, who agreed to list it before a bench headed by Justice UU Lalit on August 22. Setalvad said his appeal is…

[joinnoukri]

Gujarat high court notice to SIT on Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar bail request | Latest News India

Gujarat high court notice to SIT on Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar bail request | Latest News India

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court on Wednesday issued notices to the special investigation team (SIT) asking them to respond to bail applications filed by rights activist Teesta Setalvad and former director general of police RB Sreekumar, who were arrested for allegedly fabricating documents to frame innocent people in 2002 Gujarat riots cases. Setalvad and Sreekumar approached the high court…

[znewstech]

Evidence fabrication case: Gujarat court denies bail to activist Teesta Setalvad, former DGP R B Sreekumar | India News

Evidence fabrication case: Gujarat court denies bail to activist Teesta Setalvad, former DGP R B Sreekumar | India News

NEW DELHI: A sessions court in Ahmedabad on Saturday rejected the bail applications of activist Teesta Setalvad and former DGP R B Sreekumar, arrested for allegedly fabricating documents to frame innocent people in the 2002 post-Godhra riots cases. Additional Principal Judge DD Thakkar pronounced the order on the bail pleas after deferring it three times in the past week. The two accused, who…

[mzemo0]

Gujrat Riots: Has Indian Democracy Breathed Its Last?

The Supreme Court of India recently gave a clean chit to PM Narendra Modi following the 2022 Gujrat riot case.

What may seem like justice to a long-held case is a dark night for all the families who bled during those riots. The decision to provide clean chit to 64 accused people, including PM Narendra Modi, is sought to be unfair by several political analysts.

Gujrat Riots from 2002 to 2022

Gujrat Riots took place in 2002 after a train, Sabarmati Express, carrying 60 Hindu pilgrims, was set on fire. Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujrat at that time. His lack of interest and sympathy toward Muslim killings made him accountable for the incidents.

He was accused of the ruthless murder of a Muslim politician during the riots. Despite strong evidence and witnesses regarding Modi’s contribution to encouraging Hindus, declaring him free from the accusation is appalling.

A senior police officer stated in Supreme Court that Gujrat Chief Minister Narendra Modi intentionally allowed anti-Muslim riots in the state following the burning of Sabarmati Express. He mentioned that Modi said, “The Hindus should be allowed to vent their anger.”

On the contrary, Modi denies any wrongdoings.

The Indian Supreme Court and Nanavati Commission Report on Gujrat and Delhi Riots

The Indian government has arrested the Indian civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad for spinning a conspiracy against the Modi government in Gujrat. The arrest was made considering her advocacy for the victims of the 2002 Gujrat Riots.

Besides Setalvad, the Indian government has been after all the activists and officials who spoke the truth about the riots. The process for justice has come to a full circle. Now, the government says that it was an attempt to topple the Modi government in Gujarat.

Instead of holding the responsible accountable, the Nanavati Commission report on the 2002 Gujarat riots asks for strict action against police officers who could not control the mobs as they were not competent enough.

“There is no evidence to show that these attacks were either inspired or instigated or abated by any minister of the state,” the commission said in its 1,500-page long report.

The Police’s Say regarding 2022 Gujrat Riots

Some police officers believe that it is true that they could not control the mob in some places. However, it is not because of their incompetence or negligence. Contrarily, the mob was massive, and the police were not adequately armed to face this unanticipated situation.

The Indian Supreme Court and people in favour of the decision stressed that the mob was agitated by turning the Sabarmati Express under a planned conspiracy. Narendra Modi also mentions that you cannot stop angry people from showing their frustration.

Reports show that over 1,000 people (mostly Muslims) were killed in the 2022 Gujrat Riots.

Civil rights activists and officials believe that people who lost their lives in this riot rising from religious conflict must receive justice. It would be unfair to free everyone accused of involvement in the riots.

Fact Checker and Journalist Muhammad Zubair arrested by BJP-led Uttar Pradesh Government.

The Uttar Pradesh government arrested fact checker and Journalist Muhammad Zubair on June 27, 2022.

Muhammad Zubair is an active political journalist and the co-founder of India’s leading fact-checking website Alt News. He works laboriously with his team to bring out the truth from gold-plated lies and has been under BJP’s radar for a long time because he attempted to reveal fabricated stories.

Zubair gained international prominence after he called out JBP spokesperson Nupur Sharma about her derogatory comments regarding Muhammad (PBUH) ’s marriages. These remarks were condemned by the Islamic world, resulting in apologies from the Indian government.

According to the Uttar Pradesh government, Zubair was arrested over a 2018 tweet that insulted religious beliefs.

The tweet showed a picture of a hotel with a different name after BJP came into power. It stated

“Before 2014: Honeymoon Hotel. After 2014: Hanuman Hotel”

The hotel owners changed the name Honeymoon Hotel to the Hindu God Hanuman’s name.

However, analysts and people following politics in India closely believe that the reason for the arrest was something else indeed.

There are several cases on Zubair around the “provoking hate” theory showing that it is a planned conspiracy.

Following his arrest on June 27, 2021, he was in and out of the courtroom and prison regarding the case. Delhi police further accused him of destroying evidence, criminal conspiracies, and receiving foreign funding. They took Zubair to a remote town on the India-Nepal border for “further investigations.”

Later, Uttar Pradesh police took his custody and added more charges to his name, like using “hatemongers” as an offensive term. Allegedly, Zubair used the words against three Hindu religious leaders. Remember that these leaders used hate speech and threatened to rape Muslim women.

Supreme Court granted a five-day temporary bail to Zubair on July 8, 2022.

He received bail in the original case by the Delhi government regarding the 2018 hate speech tweet. Yet, he was kept in custody considering around half a dozen more charges by the Uttar Pradesh police. When he gets bail in one case, another same case is lodged at a different location so that he remains in custody. It is thought to be a conspiracy and the police’s tactic to keep him in custody.

Muhammad Zubair, belonging to Bangalore, co-founded the fact-checking platform Alt News in 2017. Zubair and his partner Pratik Sinha have been working with due diligence to combat fake news and bring facts to the surface, including some from the Gujrat riots.

Alt News, co-founded by Zubair, has debunked significant claims and misinformation, including caste, religion, and unscientific myths.

The website focuses on fake news of all sorts, especially the unfair treatment of Muslims in the region. Muhammad, being a Muslim, has been charged with different accusations and kept in custody for unneeded periods.

Court ordered the immediate release of Muhammad Zubair in mid-July.

Conclusion

After witnessing the selective execution of Muslims and a sequential policy of ruling out the special status of Muslim majority provinces, are we seeing the end of the glorious Indian Democracy and the beginning of something darker?

The Gujrat riots with no solution in sight and nobody willing to take or impose responsibilities, fact-checkers getting penalized and arrested for other factual findings, the tyranny on Muslims for the past 70 years and more.

Our point of view is simple, what India is doing now, we have seen what Germany did 80 years ago, and that did not end well for anybody.

[breaking-news-portal]

Charges Of Trying To Destabilize Gujarat Govt, Taking Money Baseless: Teesta Setalvad To Court

Charges Of Trying To Destabilize Gujarat Govt, Taking Money Baseless: Teesta Setalvad To Court

New Delhi: Social activist Teesta Setalvad, accused by an SIT of conspiring to destabilize the then-elected government in Gujarat and taking money from late Congress leader Ahmed Patel, told a local court on Monday that these charges and others levelled against her were baseless. The Mumbai-based activist, who is in jail in Gujarat, also denied charges of fabricating evidence to implicate…

[alwaysfirst]

Gujarat riots: SIT reveals Teesta, Sreekumar, Sanjeev Bhatt received money from Ahmed Patel to frame Narendra Modi

Jul 16, 2022 11:17 IST Ahmedabad (Gujarat) , July 16 (AF): Social activist Teesta Setalvad, former state Director General of Police (DGP) RB Sreekumar and former IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt had accepted Rs 30 lakhs from Ahmed Patel, the political advisor of the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi to allegedly frame then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and destabilise his government following 2002 Gujarat riots, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) report revealed. The SIT was formed to probe Setalvad along with R B Sreekumar for criminal conspiracy and forgery. SIT's ACP BC Solanki's Special public prosecutors Mitesh Amin and Amit Patel filed an affidavit in the sessions court on Friday against the bail plea filed by Teesta, Sreekumar in the Sessions Court stating that the accused had entered into a larger conspiracy with the intention of obtaining illegal money and other benefits from Congress. Notably, a metropolitan court in Ahmedabad sent Setalvad and Sreekumar to 14-day judicial custody on July 2. Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt was arrested by the Ahmedabad Police's Crime Branch on Tuesday in connection with the Gujarat riots case for embezzling funds and forging documents. After the riots that broke out after the Godhra incident, the SIT filed serious charges against Teesta Setalvad, RB Sreekumar and Sanjeev Bhatt in the case of defaming several people including the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat in the case of petitions to various commissions and the Supreme Court. The SIT affidavit stated that the accused had numerous meetings with Patel where they received Rs 5 lakhs for the first time and Rs 25 lakhs after two days. Ahmed Patel passed away in 2020. Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea filed by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, challenging the clean chit given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to then Chief Minister Narendra Modi and several others in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Ehsan Jafri was among 69 people killed during violence at the Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002. His widow Zakia Jafri challenged the SIT's clean chit to 64 people including Narendra Modi who was Chief Minister of Gujarat at the time. After 58 pilgrims were burnt alive on the Sabarmati Express train at Gujarat's Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002, riots broke out across the state in which more than 1,000 people were killed. (AF) Read the full article