New Delhi: Human rights activist Teesta Setalvad faced the Supreme Court’s wrath on Thursday for reporting to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council about the proceedings of 10 cases relating to the Gujarat riots, which are being monitored by India’s highest court.
“It shows you (Teesta) do not have confidence in us. We are monitoring the cases and are here to hear your grievances. Yet, you write to the UN body. Can the international body provide protection to witnesses?” asked a Bench comprising justices D K Jain, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam.
“Can they guide us how to proceed with the cases? You are reporting the day-to-day proceedings in the Supreme Court and trial courts to that organisation as also what the joint commissioner of police does. Is the international body a disciplinary authority for the police?” said the Bench in anguish while continuing with the barrage of questions.
Amicus curiae Harish Salve had drawn the court’s attention to Setalvad’s letters about the case proceedings, sent to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and marked as copies to international bodies. The court had sought her response.
Setalvad’s counsel Kamini Jaiswal attempted to justify the information given to the international body, saying it was a repository of human rights of people all over the world. But the court’s strictures forced her to give an undertaking that she would not send any such communication to the UN body in future.
Setalvad and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) — an NGO she heads — have been fighting for justice for post-Godhra riot victims since 2002. She had on October 5 and 7 last year written to SIT chairman R K Raghavan about the lack of protection to the riotcase witnesses and sent copies to the UN body.
Two years ago, the court had criticized her for writing an article blaming the Supreme Court for the delay in hearing bail petitions of the accused in the Godhra train burning case.
A Bench headed by the then chief justice, K G Balakrishnan, had remarked: “The article is shameful to say the least. There are some articles in the newspaper which are educative, and there are some which we ignore. But what is this article indicating that the matters are not getting posted and that the court is being unfair. This article (by Setalvad) is not in good taste.”
“Can they guide us how to proceed with the cases? You are reporting the day-to-day proceedings in the Supreme Court and trial courts to that organisation as also what the joint commissioner of police does. Is the international body a disciplinary authority for the police?” said the Bench in anguish while continuing with the barrage of questions.
Amicus curiae Harish Salve had drawn the court’s attention to Setalvad’s letters about the case proceedings, sent to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and marked as copies to international bodies. The court had sought her response.
Setalvad’s counsel Kamini Jaiswal attempted to justify the information given to the international body, saying it was a repository of human rights of people all over the world. But the court’s strictures forced her to give an undertaking that she would not send any such communication to the UN body in future.
Setalvad and Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) — an NGO she heads — have been fighting for justice for post-Godhra riot victims since 2002. She had on October 5 and 7 last year written to SIT chairman R K Raghavan about the lack of protection to the riotcase witnesses and sent copies to the UN body.
Two years ago, the court had criticized her for writing an article blaming the Supreme Court for the delay in hearing bail petitions of the accused in the Godhra train burning case.
A Bench headed by the then chief justice, K G Balakrishnan, had remarked: “The article is shameful to say the least. There are some articles in the newspaper which are educative, and there are some which we ignore. But what is this article indicating that the matters are not getting posted and that the court is being unfair. This article (by Setalvad) is not in good taste.”
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