Setalvad in a Soup: Former aide files defamation complaint
/ 0
- Current News
- Thursday, 21 June 2012 08:16
- Published on Thursday, 21 June 2012 18:17
- Hits: 488
Gujarat Global News Network, Ahmedabad
There is fresh trouble for social activist Teesta Setalvad. Rais Khan, a former aide has filed a defamation complaint against her before a magisterial court. Khan has sought her prosecution under section 499 of IPC for defaming him and publishing allegations in magazine ‘Communalism Combat’ and posting the statements on website.
Khan, who was part of Setalvad’s NGO, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), till 2008 has raised objection against Setalvad’s statement claiming that he used to discredit those witnesses supporting the prosecution case in the post-Godhra riots cases. He has also objected to Setalvad’s claims that Khan’s behaviour was deviant, and he was harassing survivors. Khan has also challenged the statement that he got patronage of VHP and RSS strongmen, who were named in carnage cases.
“These utterances lower the reputation of the complainant and his family members within their community. The complainant and his family members are outcast and facing social boycott,” the complaint reads. In his complaint, Khan has also objected to the allegations of financial irregularities levelled against him. He submitted that without seeking any explanation from him in this regard after getting the accounts audited, she charged him with corruption.
He has also accused her of paying more money to witnesses than to the riot victims. “Payment to victims was not her priority but payment to the witnesses was her priority. When a witness was paid Rs 50,000 or Rs 1,00,000, the victim was paid only Rs 5,000,” he claimed.
Khan has also made a sensational claim that Setalvad and her NGO made riot victims implicate those persons with whom they had enmity. “When most of the riot victims failed to give definite names of the persons who attacked them, they were asked to give names based on their enmity with the persons in their locality to fix them,” the complaint said.
Next hearing is on July 19.
For news in Hindi see our Hindi daily Chaupal Chronicle
