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HRDA-India : Statement Condemning CBI Raid on Teesta Setalvad’s Residence and Office
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 14th July 2015 : Human Rights Defenders Alerts– India (HRDA) is shocked to hear about the raids by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the premises of social activist Teesta Setalvad, her husband Javed Anand, Gulam Mohammed Peshimam and office of Sabrang Communications and Publishing in Mumbai. HRDA strongly condemns this action by the CBI which comes in despite complete cooperation as submitted in writing by Teesta Setalvad to the CBI for all matters of investigation which is still ongoing. This is not the first time the activists working for justice and truth with regard to ‘Gujarat Riots’ have been targeted. Teesta Setalvad herself has been targeted in several other false criminal cases for which she had to seek anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court. It is clearly a part of repeated attempts to discredit human rights defenders and attacks on them.
Last week on July 8, 2015, the CBI registered a case against Ms Setalvad and her organisation under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section related to criminal conspiracy (120-B) read with sections 35, 37 of IPC and sections 3, 11 and 19 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for receiving funds from abroad without seeking the home ministry’s permission. In the First Information Report (FIR), the CBI also named Ms Setalvad’s husband Javed Anand and Gulam Mohammed Peshimam, both directors in Sabrang Communications and Publishing based in Santacruz, Mumbai.
There were a series of inspections of the accounts of the organisations Teesta Setalvad has been associated with i.e. Sabrang Trust and Citizens for Justice and Peace. These organisations have sent in over 25,000 pages of documentation answering every query about funding. Despite this, the CBI has reportedly filed an FIR against Teesta Setalvad. HRDA believes, Teesta Setalvad has been hounded by the Government of India for her work to seek justice for past 13 years against the architects and perpetrators of the Gujarat Riots. These ongoing harassments of Teesta Setalvad and her colleagues at Sabrang Trust, Sabrang Communications and Publishing and Citizens for Justice and Peace is a gross tactic and blatant abuse of the State machinery by the Government of India to threaten human rights defenders (HRDs) working on the issues of justice and to ensure that a large part of HRDs time which otherwise would have focused on work related to justice is now spent running from one court to another.
HRDA strongly condemns the ongoing attacks on human rights defenders working to establish truth and justice in the Gujarat Riots and in this particular case of attack on Teesta Setalvad and the organisations she has been associated with. These repeated attempts by the Government of India to push the activists on defensive line have constantly failed over the past 13 years. The response of the State is contrary to the assurances of states in the UN Declaration of HRDs which in fact emphasizes all the work that Teesta Setalvad, Javed Anand and their colleagues have been carrying on patiently and silently.
HRDA also requests the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) through its Chairperson, Members and Focal Point for HRDs to immediately move and direct adequate protection of Teesta Setalvad to ensure her non arrest and guarantee freedom of peaceful association and assembly and to carry out their mandates which in this case are the organisations Teesta Setalvad has been associated with.
About HRDA:
Human Rights Defenders Alert – India is a national network for the protection and promotion of human rights defenders in the country floated by participants of two Participatory Learning Workshops on Rights and Responsibilities of Human Rights Defenders regional trainings that the trainers from the said workshops conducted.
Human Rights Defenders Alert – India is a platform to extend solidarity and assistance to Human Rights Defenders in trouble / at risk. Becoming a member of the Human Rights Defenders Alert – India will make you part of a larger family of human rights defenders and ensure strengthening of the forum and greater support from the human rights community in India.
For More information contact:
Mr. Mathew Jacob, National Coordinator, HRDA-India, 6, Vallabai Road, Madurai – 625002. Mobile: 99943 68540
With regards,
Sd/-
(Henri Tiphagne)
Honorary National Working Secretary
For more information and sources related to HRDA visit www.hrdaindia.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hrdefendersalert
Human Rights Defenders Alert - India,
National Coordination Office,
6, Vallabai Road, Madurai 625002.
Tamil Nadu, India
Mobile: +91-9994368540
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Hum Aazaadizon Ke Haq Mein condemns CBI raid on CJP office, residence of Teesta Setalvad
Hum Aazaadizon ke Haq Mein condemns the CBI raid on the office of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and the residence of Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand. The raids are completely unwarranted and an excessive misuse of the agency’s guidelines on searches, especially when Ms Setalvad has cooperated with investigations.
Ostensibly part of the agency’s investigation into allegations of misuse of the regulations of the FCRA, the raids are a naked attempt to scare, stigmatise and harass members of CJP, at a juncture when investigations into the case against prime minister Narendra Modi in the Gujarat riot victims cases are at a critical stage.
The CBI raids are also an attempt to intimidate others who, like members of CJP, have raised a voice against communal forces in the country. The CBI would do well to utilise its considerable energies and ability to investigate those responsible for the Vyapam scam, the killings of witnesses in the Asaram Bapu rape case etc.
Hum Aazaadiyon Ke Haq Mein
Hum Aazaadiyon Ke Haq Mein (HAKHM) is a collective of individuals and organisations based in Mumbai. HAKHM campaigns on issues of discrimination, State sponsored violence and atrocities, human right violations and works towards strengthening freedom, democracy, citizenships rights, rights of all marginalized sections.
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ALL INDIA DEMOCRATIC WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION
NO. 2253- E , SHADI KHAMPUR, NEW RANJIT NAGAR,
NEW DELHI-110008
PH: 011-25700476, 25709565
Email : aidwacec@gmail.com, aidwa@rediffmail.com
Date: 14th July 2015
PRESS RELEASE
All India Democratic women’s s Organisation (AIDWA ) condemns in strongest terms the act of raids conducted by CBI on the office and house premises of Teesta Setalvad.
In Mumbai it is shocking and highly objectionable that a large contingent
of CBI has been deployed for search operations the whole day. In a press release issued today AIDWA has stated that the real motive of such hounding of Ms Setalvad is nothing but a clear cut vendetta of Modi Govt as a revenge for her active role against the 2002 Gujarat Program. She had been relentlessly continuing the legal fight for all these years so that politically influential culprits are brought to book and punished.
Moreover such act of CBI can never be justified in view of Ms Setalvad already assuring her full cooperation in any investigation into transactions and functioning of her NGO.
AIDWA calls upon all justice loving and secular forces to raise their voice against misuse of CBI for scaring a social activist into silence.
Malini Bhattacharya (President) Jagmati Sangwan (General Secretary)
AIDWA
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Statement by People’s Alliance for Secularism and Democracy on the CBI raid at the residence of Teesta Setalvad, Javed Anand and Ghulam Pesh Imam and the offices of Sabrang Communcations, Mumbai on 14 July 2015
http://sacw.net/article11371.html
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India: SAHMAT statement on CBI Raid on Teesta Setalvad’s house and office
http://sacw.net/article11373.html
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India: Citizens Statement in Support of Teesta Setalvad (15 July 2015)
http://sacw.net/article11375.html
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http://cpim.org/pressbriefs/vindictive-actions-against-teesta-setalvad
Vindictive Actions Against Teesta Setalvad
Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the blatantly vindictive actions against Teesta Setalvad by the Modi Government. The institution of a CBI case against her and the subsequent raid by over 16 CBI personnel at her residence throughout the day, is a misuse of power to intimidate and silence her because of her relentless pursuit of justice in cases connected with the Gujarat genocide. It is also a signal to silence others against exposing the role of top leaders of the Government. It is no coincidence that these actions are on the eve of important hearings in at least two of the Gujarat related cases.
The comparison between the way that the Government agencies are conducting themselves in Teesta’s case are in stark and shameful contrast to the way that the Government is protecting the accused in the Vyapam and other cases involving top Government and ruling party leaders.
The Government should put an end to this harassment of Teesta Setalvad.
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Harassment and victimization of Teesta and Javed by the CBI condemned - Statement by Citizens For Democracy
http://sacw.net/article11378.html
