Teesta Setalvad case: Former judges, bureaucrats slam criticism of SC, say interference in judiciary not acceptable

A group of former judges and bureaucrats has urged the Supreme Court not to expunge any of its remarks in the case of "Zakia Ahsan Jafri vs State of Gujarat and Anr", saying that "interference in judiciary not acceptable".

This comes after a "politically motivated" section of civil society has made attempts to cast "aspersions on the integrity of the judiciary" at large and in this case relating to Teesta Setalvad following her arrest in connection with a case against her NGO which gave baseless information about the 2002 Gujarat riots to the police.

"The Hon'ble Supreme Court remarked that Teesta Setalvad and others were vindictively pursuing this suit for her ulterior design by exploiting the emotions of Zakia Ahsan Jafri, aggrieved by the events. The Supreme Court also took note of the misadventures of Teesta Setalvad when she forwarded letters written by her to the SIT to the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights at the United Nations (OHCHR) for oblique motives and made insinuations against the Hon'ble Supreme Court for accepting the work of the SIT as fair and complete investigation," read the statement.

The statement, signed by 13 retired judges, 90 retired bureaucrats and 87 retired armed forces, said this section has attempted to pressurise the judiciary to expunge remarks which are unfavourable to Setalvad and the two guilty IPS Officers who have fabricated evidence.

"This section should realise that SCI acted in a matter which was within its jurisdiction and any action for modification of Court proceedings, like its 'clarification' etc., must take form of a regular motion, not merely by the asking of it, and even as they pretend that the Citizens are 'totally disturbed and dismayed', so also the law abiding Citizens are disturbed and dismayed at the former's attempt to disrupt the Rule of Law," it said.

The signatories urged the apex court not to be intimidated by the tactics of such "institutional disruptors".

(ANI)

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