Blamed for misappropriation of fund availed in the name of riot-affected people in Gujarat several times by many beneficiaries in the past, finally human rights activist Teesta Setalvad has been booked by the Ahmedabad police following an FIR lodged against her and four others.
According to police sources, an FIR has been lodged against Teesta, her husband Javed Anand, son of slain Congress leader Ehsan Jafri, Salim Sandhi and FG Pathan for allegedly usurping fund worth `1.51 crore collected for turning Gulbarg Society, which was set on fire during Gujarat riots in 2002, into a museum. Feroz Saeedkhan Pathan, who used to live in Gulberg Society during 2002 riots, had lodged FIR against Teesta and others. In Gulbarg Society massacre three of Pathan’s family members were killed.
Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in Ahmedabad has registered a case against them under Sections 120 (B), 406 and 420 for breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy on Sunday evening. Apart from Teesta, her husband Javed and Ehsan Jafri’s son Tanveer, two other accused in the FIR Sandhi and FG Pathan were residents of Gulbarg Society and both of them lost five members of their families in the riots.
Teesta and her husband Javed were running two NGOs — Citizen for Justice & Peace (CJP) and Sabrang. According to sources, the duo with the help of their other accomplices allegedly collected huge fund to assist riot-affected people in Gujarat. According to police, the complainant has alleged that they had grabbed photographs and video footage of Gulbarg Society and other riot incidents of Gujarat and put them on websites of their NGOs. By showcasing these videos and photos in websites they appealed people to donate funds in their bank accounts of Union Bank of India and IDBI Bank. According to complainant, it was done without any consent and collected money was utilised for personal purposes during 2007 to 2011 and not for the cause, they availed the money.
The complainant said in the FIR that the fund collected by the accused was aimed at helping the riots victims and to construct a museum at Gulbarg Society, but they have not done anything. Meanwhile, Teesta was quoted as saying that former employee of her NGO, Rais Khan was behind the complaint against her.
When contacted, Rais Khan denied the charges of Teesta. In fact from Monday morning Khan was constantly receiving threat calls from anonymous numbers. According to him, he has already informed the police pertaining to the threat calls. He would meet the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner on Tuesday for security cover under the circumstances.
Teesta was also backing widow of Ehsan Jafri, Zakia, who challenged the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) closure report giving clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and 59 others in nine cases pertaining to communal riots of 2002. Though, on December 26, 2013, a magisterial court in Ahmedabad also rejected Zakia’s application. In last one fortnight this is second setback for Teesta after the Ahmedabad court’s verdict in favour of Modi.
In fact around a year ago 12 residents of Gulbarg Society also sent a complaint to Ahmedabad Police Commissi-oner against Teesta alleging the same charges. Some of victims had also sought a ban on the Teesta’s NGO for organising an annual event on February 28 to mark Gujarat riots and sent a letter to Ahmedabad Police Commissioner.
The residents of Gulbarg society claimed that Teesta collected huge donations from national and international organisations in the names of victims.