I wish to endorse this appeal Sandeep Vaidya India Support group Dublin, Ireland
> >From: sandhya gokhale <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Sent: Mon, February 21, 2011 6:54:59 AM >Subject: [humanrights-movement:3773] Please endorse the Appeal : Justice for >Survivors of Guj 2002 carnage > > >Dear Friends, > This is an appeal we would like to submit to the authorities mentioned > here. >After long struggle of nine years, the Gujarat 2002 carnage survivors are >likely to get some justice soon, But State machinery is trying its best to >vitiate the process. This is our attempt at supporting the survivors. We >appeal >to all Women's Organizations, Human Rights Groups and networks to endorse >this >appeal.Please respond as soon as possible. > > >Hon’ble Mr. Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya > 21st February 2011 >Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat >Phone : 079-27664601-15 >E-Mail : [email protected] >Shri Manmohan Singh >Prime Minister >Fax: 011-23019334 >Ph: 011-23018939/1156 >Email: [email protected] > >Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.H. Kapadia >Chief Justice of India >Fax: 011-23381508/1584 >Ph: 011-23388922-24 >Email: [email protected] > > >Victimization of Teesta Setalvad CJP, Advocate M.M. Tirmizi & victims >survivors >of 2002 > >We the undersigned Citizens, Women’s Organizations, Human Rights organizations >are gravely concerned at the continued persecution of human rights defender >Teesta Setalvad, Secretary, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). Further, >Advocate Sohail Tirmizi, and several other human rights campaigners are also >being harassed. These people have been in the forefront of the struggle to >secure justice for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots. > >Ms. Teesta Setalvad is a human rights activist and journalist, whose >unflagging >struggle to secure justice for the victims of the mass violence in Gujarat >2002 >evokes our admiration and support. Instead of awarding her a high place of >honour in society, divisive elements are now attempting to stifle her voice, >by >organizing a malicious campaign. > >Elements in the State of Gujarat are trying to intimidate and threaten her >through a series of false cases and malafide prosecutions. What is at stake is >the conviction of over 350 accused in the nine major trials (Gulberg, >Sardarpura, Odh, Naroda Patiya, Naroda Gaam) as also the inquiry into the role >of the chief minister Narendra Modi and cabinet ministers, along with IAS and >IPS officials who allowed the carnage to take place unchecked. The Citizens >for >Justice and Peace is co-petitioner in the petition that led the Special >Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate criminal charges of conspiracy to >commit >mass murder, destruction of evidence and subversion of the process of public >justice. The attempts to implicate Teesta Setalvad in some criminal offence or >other is an attempt to discredit the petitioners. > >Gujarat State's police is making false accusations of doctoring testimonies >(FIR >lodged under the IT Act, February 10 2011) and affidavits, and also of >instigating victims to exhume the dead bodies of their loved ones (CR 3/2006), >against MS. Teesta and CJP, an organisation that has stood for nine years >supporting the legal battle of the survivors. > > >There is no guarantee that more false cases will not also cooked up by the >police who are pressurised by a vindictive state government. After Tehelka's >exposure of the SIT report indicting Modi, "The Smoking Gun" (February 10, >2011), IPS officer Rahul Sharma was served with a show cause notice for >placing >crucial telephone records before the Nanavati Shah Commission and the SIT. >Clearly the Gujarat government, worried by indications that offences could be >registered against its chief functionaries for not just aiding a massacre in >2002, but also of destroying evidence and subverting the course of justice, is >doing all it can do intimidate the victim survivors and the human rights >groups >who have stood by them. > > >Earlier, in the Best bakery case which was shifted to Mumbai, a 'star >witeness' >was induced to change her testimony and claim false affidavits were filed, >while >all other witnesses stood by the case. Since September 2010, Mr. Rais Khan, a >former CJP employee, whose employment with CJP was terminated for financial >irregularities and suspicious conduct in January 2008, is being made to >collaborate with the State agencies to implicate Teesta and others who are >fighting legal battles along with the victims. > >We would like to respectfully point out that this sinister campaign has been >launched at a time when crucial trials are nearing completion. These trials >involve victims/survivors who have courageously testified against powerful >Gujarati perpetrators, at grave risk to their lives. The evidence gathered >against three hundred and fifty (350) perpetrators is extremely strong, and is >expected to result in the conviction of a large number of accused. > > > In the Best Bakery case mentioned above, the Honourable Court had ordered an >inquiry by the Registrar General of the Supreme Court which cleared Ms. >Setalvad >of the malicious charges, and in fact punished the witness for perjury. It can >be seen therefore that from the outset the government of Gujarat, through >agent >provocateurs, has subverted all efforts to punish the perpetrators of the anti >minority pogrom of 2002. The current campaign was initially launched in May >2009, by the State of Gujarat’s counsel in the Supreme Court, and is now being >echoed by Mr. Rais Khan. > > >This vindictive onslaught against Ms. Setalvad and her lawyers is a determined >bid to disrupt the trials, derail the course of justice, and to influence the >course of conviction - in short, to >derail the course of public justice. We respectfully and urgently request >your >attention towards this matter and to ensure that injustice will not prevail. > >FORUM AGAINST OPPRESSION OF WOMEN, MUMBAI >AWAAZ-E-NISWAAN, MUMBAI > -- >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >"humanrights movement" group. >To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >[email protected]. >For more options, visit this group at >http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
